From Anonymous
by Serephy
Summary: Sasuke is given an assignment: to send letters to somebody in a different country without giving them his name. As he quickly grows an attachment to this person, he doesn't realize that his life is going to change forever. ItaSasu, onesided NaruSasu. Yaoi
1. I Hate This More

Not exactly my first attempt at fanfiction itself, but my first attempt here, at my weirdness! Yeah!

Well the world is practically set in the same world, except no ninja stuff. Not exactly important news, just telling you if you got confused. Not that I'd think you would but…yeah.

**Summary: **Uchiha Sasuke has an assignment: to send letters to a college student in a different country, without giving the person their name. Once Sasuke begins to grow an attachment to this person, his life starts to get messed up Modern Fic, slight OOC, yaoi, ItaSasu, one sided NaruSasu.

**Chapter One: I Hate This More…**

Rain. I hate rain. If I said that I'd be lying. I remember that I wrote that when I was supposed to write a science essay about precipitation when I was in fourth grade. Of course I got an F, but that was for a change of pace. My brother scolded me. We had an argument, because he was Mr. Smarty-Pants and I was supposed to be Mr. Smarty-Pants Jr. He just seemed to disappear when I woke up the next morning.

I wonder if it's my fault. That he left, I mean.

* * *

"Uchiha Sasuke, don't think that because you are the top student in this class that you can slack off like that," a calm voice that came from his sensei was music to my ears. Sarcasm. If you didn't know that.

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei," I replied dully, not wanting to go through all of the trouble of contradicting. I was so lucky I got a window seat. I was so lucky I got a window seat and it was raining. I was so lucky that I got a window seat and it was raining and the entire class felt like dog shit. Stepped on by our teacher because of this new assignment that practically celebrated the truce that Konoha and the Rain Village just made.

"Okay, as I said before, since the high school didn't want to have any part in this (I don't know why, but…) you'll be sending letters to a few college students as well. Their addresses will be chosen at random, and yes, they've agreed to reply every time. Face it. You'll all like it. Don't give me that 'Awww!'! It'll be fun!!!"

"That's what they all say," I heard Naruto groan behind me. I smiled to myself, agreeing silently. This assignment was a thriller for the girls, seeing that they get to meet college students, older guys and whatever. A few boys were happy, because they get to meet college girls. Most of the guys were totally disappointed. "Ne, ne, Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "How'll they know if we're actually sending them letters? They'll never know unless they intercept our letters!"

"And trust me, the college students hate it, too!" Kakashi said, raising his voice, apparently hearing all the whispers being thrown across the class room. "But trust me; we'll know if you're not keeping in touch!"

A barrage of 'Awwws!' and 'Greats!' and 'Whatevers'! and crumpled up papers.

_The teachers did this for no reason,_ I thought bitterly. _Just making us waste our own time trying to make friends with a country that we were warring with for years. _

The bell rang after an eternity of the white-haired sensei trying to convince us fifteen year olds that it was a worth it thing to do. He should know by now. We're persistent and we're idiots. Giving the exception of Gaara. And probably me. Some people think I'm an idiot.

Kakashi yelled out to the class before they left that the college students should send them a letter or something eventually. Naruto left right behind me, muttering that the college students probably wouldn't have the motivation to do such a thing. I secretly agreed, too. From what he knew, college students were either totally irresponsible or totally serious.

"Can't we visit them instead? It'll save the mailman a lot of work," Kiba complained. "We'll get an address eventually, right? Then we could just visit them."

"I don't think so," said the pink-haired girl. "I don't think we should."

"Aren't you one of the girls who are totally thrilled with the possibility of meeting some hot guy?" Naruto thrust his thumb at Sakura's large forehead.

I stared at Naruto when Sakura stomped off with Ino and Hinata. "I thought you liked her. Why are you bullying her a lot all of a sudden?"

"Humph. I got over puppy love."

A weird reply for Naruto. All of his love was puppy love. That's what I thought. "Do you think you're going to go through with this?"

"Are you?"

"I'm bored. I guess so. I need to get a good grade on English anyway," I answered immediately. Secretly I kind of liked the idea. I wouldn't say that to Naruto, though.

"Me, too," Naruto said shrugging. I tried to hide some of my complete shock of Naruto trying to get a good grade in English. "I mean, this could be fun, really, now that I think about it. Getting to know someone without exactly knowing them. Oh, yeah, then meeting them at the end of the year."

I nearly forgot about that part. In the end we do get to meet them. It probably wasn't a good idea. In the end, the two people might get along really well when sending letters, but they find that they don't like them a lot after all.

I'll just try to hold back my laughter when Sakura or Ino think that they're guy is totally tall, dark, and handsome and they end up getting a weirdo who is trying to be tall, dark, and handsome. It'll be the day if they really do get someone who is tall, dark and handsome.

Then again, they might get a girl.

"So who do you think you're getting, a boy or a girl?" Naruto seemed to know what I was thinking. _Best friends do that,_ I thought. "I personally don't care."

"I'd rather get a guy. Girls are a little irritating." The truth. I don't have raging hormones like the rest of you. Just not interested.

"It'd be funny if all the guys got the girls and all the girls got the guys."

"It's totally random, do be. What are the chances of that happening?"

"What are the chances of you getting a completely hot guy?" Naruto said rather loudly when Ino, Sakura, TenTen, and Hinata passed by. Ino and Sakura just became infuriated. TenTen just laughed, saying that she really didn't care. Hinata just blushed timidly and hid behind the girls. "Oh, well." Naruto said when Ino and Sakura just decided to ignore him for the rest of their lives. "Let's get home, then! Ja ne, Sasuke!"

"Aa, Mata ne," I forced a smile on my face as I watched the spiky, blonde haired boy jump into his father's car (Yes, his father is alive in this. Not much about him though, so it's not something you should worry about if you want to avoid spoilers).

I began my walk to my apartment, which wasn't so far. I was just going to drop my stuff off and go take my part-time job. Even though all the money that my parents owned was all mine, I still needed to take precautions. It wasn't a thrilling job. Just a waiter at a restaurant. Which is sometimes filled with perverts. It didn't really matter, because the pay was pretty good.

For some reason, I was trying to move time faster so that I could finally check the mail and finally see the unfamiliar handwriting that would soon become familiar throughout the year. The mailman usually came to the apartment around four or five o'clock, so I'd have plenty of time to read through the letter and then write back. I still had to deal with the possibility that I might not be so lucky and end up being with a bitchy character instead.

I was willing to take that chance.

* * *

I finally arrived home, extra exhausted with having to put up with some more perverted customers. I had no idea why I even wanted to put up with those kinds of people. It was for the money, but I was seriously considered to quit and find a better place to work.

Well, back to the subject. Once I got to my apartment I immediately got the mail, my heart pounding for some reason. Excited for no reason. Sometimes I think that I am the weirdest in my class. Then again, my oddness can't match the Uzumaki idiot's.

I opened the letter slowly, as if savoring the moment. _Why am I being so careful about this?!? _I thought quickly. Deciding not to act like such a dork I basically ripped open the enveloped and yanked the letter out. I scanned the paper so quickly that I everything written there wasn't even sent to my brain. Finally, I calmed down a little and read it. The handwriting was really nice (and somewhat familiar), but the message wasn't.

_Look, I know you have no reason to do this. I hate it, too. _

_Since I have to, I'll give you some information. One, I'm a guy, two, I want to do this so much less than you do, and three; this will not result in anything. I mean it. _

_From Anonymous_

My jaw dropped slightly. In the end, I was stuck with a stuck-up bastard. So much for being excited, huh? The end of my first day of downfall. Not quite yet. I had to think of something to write back. Under the pressure, I couldn't. There weren't any good points to this by far. So much for thinking that this would be fun, getting to know someone without exactly knowing them.

Stupid Uzumaki.

Out of energy, falling asleep was this letter suddenly became the last thing on my mind.

* * *

When I woke up early the next morning, I woke up at least thirty minutes before the alarm went off. Something felt missing for a moment, until I forgot that I didn't do my homework, because of excitement. For what? No clue.

I forced myself up, still feeling drowsy. That wasn't the way to do homework, especially in a rush. I trudged to the bathroom, splashed myself with cold water, and got started. When I was finishing off, I was surprised by the alarm clock. The first thing that came to my mind was, _I'm a total idiot._

Then I remembered that I didn't eat dinner at all last night. Because of excitement. Still doesn't ring a bell. Maybe I have amnesia. _I'm an idiot._ Totally famished of energy and everything else in the world, I decided to just run to the bakery along the way to school and just grab something. Damn, I still didn't remember what I forgot.

The phone rang. Why would anyone call me at when usually someone would either be asleep or just waking up at the time. I looked at the caller ID, and it said Uzumaki. I scowled, and thought that if I ignored him my life would be so much easier. Instead I took the long and hard way, and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" I groaned, trying to sound groggy and tired. Worked so perfectly, didn't it?

"G'mornin', Sasuke!" Naruto chimed, totally chipper. Only an idiot would be happy in the morning. I guess that means I'm not one.

"Why're you so happy?" I muttered, my groggy and tired act still on. I guess you wouldn't call it an act, though. I forgot to eat dinner, I just remembered that I was totally molested during my part-time job, I had to do my homework in the morning, I think I got a lot wrong because my alarm clock totally shocked me, and I'm still trying to remember something important that happened to me last night before I went to sleep. Yep. Definitely not an act.

"I think I got a good person for that assignment in English! He sent me a nice letter!"

Oh. _That._

"Bad mood," I immediately growled into the phone. I slammed the phone back in its place and bonked my head against the wall at least ten times. _I'm an idiot again._

Scowl at the world, Sasuke, because you've got bad luck on your side. I could've sworn the TV said that to me.

I just remembered something again. I had to think of a good response to that guy. And fast, before I got into trouble. Before he sent me another foul letter. I wish letters were the same as e-mail (Why couldn't we e-mail them instead? Stupid, stupid old teachers.). You could just mark it as spam and get your life overwith. The letters will stop coming.

If only I lived in the Internet.

If only life was so much easier.

Why is it that the thing that everyone hates yesterday becomes the new trend today? Things out of style eventually come back in, even someone like me knows that. But why must it happen so quickly?

I'm a kid with problems. That's the answer. My mind doesn't work, I'm still living with my parents and older brother, and this is just a dream. I'm in a coma, and my brother is sitting next to me 24/7 like he used to and when I wake up everything will be normal again.

Oh, crazy imagination.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, you grumpy today?" Naruto said, a totally positive smile on his face. I hate his positive smiles.

I matched it with my pessimistic glower. No one can beat my pessimistic glower. Except Naruto's positive smile. "Yes. Stop irritating me, Uzumaki."

"You're back to calling me Uzumaki again? What happened to do be, or just plain old Naruto? Personally, I like Naruto the best. Sorry for all of my blabbering, and just watch out because I'm in a perfectly hyper mood today because I drank all of my dad's coffee and drained all of the energy drink in my house."

"Don't sit with me during lunch, then."

"Okay! See you at lunch."

"…"

I only got to speak properly with everyone else during lunch time. The only class we were all together again was gym and the last period, which just happens to be English, which I now dread.

**Lunch Topic: **The letters.

Repeat of the ninth paragraph above.

Again, why?

"Who here has a guy as the person who is writing them?" Ino was always surveying everyone she met, probing their minds. She wasn't afraid to look anyone in the eye, and I like that and I hate that at the same time.

Naruto, Sakura, Hinata, Shino, Ino, and Kiba raised their hands. I reluctantly followed suite.

"Then everyone else has a girl?" Ino said. She must be thrilled, that girl. Let's just hope she gets stuck with some weirdo guy. "Okay, then how was your letter, Sasuke-kun?"

She always picks me first. Why? I'm innocently standing here, trying to mind my own business. I just stared at the pasta that was sitting in front of me until it dawned to me that I was supposed to answer. If I didn't, someone would think that some guy is hitting on me, and he expressed it fully in that letter. I have a reputation to keep.

"That guy's a total bastard." Again, the truth. There was no point in hiding it, because there was nothing to hide. I have bad luck, show it. "He told me that he doesn't want to do this at all and that it won't result in anything." I shrugged. "He had great handwriting though. Better than mine."

"Hmmm…Did you expect it to result in anything?" Ino just asked the wrong questions. She should be a news reporter or something like that. I don't know if that was sarcasm or the truth.

"No, not really," I muttered, trying to sound convincing. It was a lie, but why would I expect for something to happen? It's just not natural form me. What's natural for me is that I don't give a damn about this assignment.

Ino seemed to sense my nervousness, and she kept interviewing me. I just told her about the letter again, and not about my feelings. She got annoying. She got annoyed. Ino turned to Naruto, who was bouncing up and down in his seat despite my pleads for him not to sit with me during lunch.

Naruto said that the person who is writing letters to him asked him for his email address, because he didn't like writing letters. "When he wrote that, I already knew that it'd be fun, not to mention the fact that he says yeah, hmm, or un at the end of his sentences." (Guess who that guy is yet, folks?)

Naruto had the best luck in the universe. We're opposites. Black hair, blonde hair. Pale, sort of tan. Quiet, noisy. Bad luck, good luck. If you hadn't guessed, the first one that was described was me. Second was the blond, sort of tan, noisy, guy with good luck.

I envy that guy.

The topic of conversation in English was the letters again. I hate my life already. That's just my point here. We were supposed to write them back as soon as possible. I hated that, too. I have nothing to say to someone like that. Someone who doesn't care about anyone other them himself. He could read that person like children's picture book already.

But when I got home (so happy that the restaurant was closed today), it turned out the mailman had came over early. I got the usual crap in the mail, but then I noticed that same beautiful handwriting on an envelope. _Resist the temptation to burn it. _I did. Pretty easily.

I opened it carefully this time, hoping that it was something that was more…I don't know, kinder? Friendlier?

_Sorry about that last one. Bad mood._

_You probably think I'm a sadistic bastard. That's true with practically everyone, so don't worry about that. I was just venting my anger at someone else with that letter earlier. _

_I know this is bullshit, but if I have to do this I'd rather get something out if it, understand? Still, what I said about hating having to do this is completely true. It's the same with the majority of the rest of us over here. I bet it's just a thriller to you kids._

_I'm right huh? I wish I could see the expression on your face. _

_I don't want to talk much, because I don't have a lot to talk about. And I have a lot of work to do. Irritating._

_From Anonymous_

So much easier to answer to a letter like this. He was pretty much like me in a way. Bad mood. Huh. Just like me, venting out feelings on someone else. Sadistic bastard? Am I? Not sure. If everyone thinks he's a sadistic bastard, he might as well be, right? He was right about it being a total thriller on our end. Not having much to talk about and having a lot of things to do is just like a typical human, I suppose. Despite the fact he didn't seem like he wanted to do this, but he sounded pretty enthusiastic.

But for some reason he sounded like my long, lost, older brother Itachi.

Immediately, I found another piece of paper and started writing. After a few minutes of thinking about what to write, and another few minutes of writing it down. By far, I wrote a few things and it turned out like this:

_Okay, I get it. I'm sorry I didn't send you anything earlier. After your first letter, I totally hate you. I think I still do. _

_More information: One, I'm a guy, two, I'm not so enthusiastic any more, and three, I really didn't expect for this to result in anything. Sorry to disappoint you. _

I sound like a bastard, too. Deciding that since he took the time to apologize in a different letter, I threw that one out. Sucked, really. I have no talent in writing whatsoever, and my handwriting is chicken scrawl compared to his. I decided to take a deep breath and try to act at least a little more… gentle.

_I'm still surprised that you sent me that last letter. A lot better than the first one. If you're all grumpy, don't send me anything. I don't like dealing with sadistic people, even if some other people call me one, too. _

_My life is boring and pointless. That's basically all you need to know. And that I'm not a girl. If I was I'd be squealing while I was writing this. _

_Can't I just tell you my name and get this all overwith? Stupid, stupid, sensei. He has white hair when he's still in his twenties. Still mad at you? Yes. I don't care if I haven't even talked to you a lot. _

_It always takes me a while to get over things._

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S. My handwriting is horrible. Deal with it. I can't be Mr. Perfect Handwriting like you. _

I personally liked the P.S. part the best. Eventually when I start to like the guy I'll send longer letters. I just hate him right now. I should've asked for his e-mail address instead of doing things the old school way, but I didn't realize it until tomorrow, when the mail was gone.

For some reason, I felt relieved. A feeling of a familiar person just dawned over me.

I wish my older brother were here.

* * *

Okay, thanks for reading if you read it. Please review, please please please? Reviews make me write better if that encourages you to at all!

Funny, I'm writing in Sasuke's POV but I really don't like him as part of Kishimoto-sensei's manga at all. I'm personally an Itachi-fan girl, but it just works out better this way. Review. I know you want to. I'll stop begging now.


	2. PS:

Okay, thanks for holding on to the second chapter. I mean it, I appreciate it a lot. I'm trying to make my chapters longer than I usually write, so, yeah. Sorry if I'm rambling again. I'll just move right now, then.

**Chapter Two: P.S.:**

It was raining on that day, too. I just came home from school. I was just seven years old – I think I was in second grade. Time flies. It felt like the image of my parents lying dead on the floor would never fade. My brother had brought me home, and he entered the house before I did. I couldn't see my brother's expression. His back was turned and his bangs covered his beautiful eyes. I know that he didn't cry. He never cried. The blood was fresh. Someone had killed them before we went into the house.

The police found no evidence on who killed them. It was only a matter of time when they just gave up on the case. They died, they died. Once you're dead, you'll never come back.

* * *

I left my apartment. To school. I sighed, knowing what was waiting for me at Konoha High School. Stuff about the letters. I didn't mind much now, anyway, since I was getting along a little better with the guy anyway. I decided to pick up breakfast at the bakery and eat there since I was early. I skipped breakfast, anyway.

Naruto joined me after I finished my blueberry muffin. He saw me at the store and chose to wait for me. I was glad he did. For some reason I felt like a girl with a big mouth and a huge secret. Trying not to be too eager, I waited for the topic of conversation to lean towards the letters before blurting anything out. Naruto then mentioned how well he was getting along with his 'pen pal' (I wouldn't dare call the guy who's sending me letters a pen pal).

"Oh, yeah, Naruto," I said, trying to make it sound like something I just remembered. "That guy that I said was a total bastard yesterday…I take that back. He actually took the time out to write me an apology. This might really work out, then."

Naruto's face slightly fell, though the blonde kid kept his happy self on until we were separated because of science class. I couldn't help but wonder why Naruto was acting different around him lately. He used to hate me completely, but now…

No. Not Naruto. I convinced myself that there was no way that a guy like Naruto would like me. He despised me for most of my life, anyway. Sure, we were like the best of friends now, but…

I'm glad science class gave me something else to think about. Sakura was my lab partner, and I sat down next to her, giving her the Uchiha scowl. I never really liked her. She was just a friend. Barely a friend really, after she made me put up my guard 24/7 because she decided to be a pervert and tried to set up cameras in my room with the help of Ino. I'm lucky I knew what cameras look like, despite how tiny the modern ones are. My older brother was a pretty good technician.

What was I kidding? My brother was good at everything. I sighed as I crossed my arms and leaned back against my chair. Kurenai-sensei was turning on a video about something. I forgot what she was talking about. I didn't care if we were going to get quizzed on the little informational video. I probably knew all of the things that were in there, anyway.

Someone was staring at me. It wasn't Sakura, because she was trying her best not to doze off. It wasn't any of the other girls who were obsessed with me (I honestly have no idea why, and I don't really care either way.). I moved slowly, turning to the window. No one was there, but I could've sworn that I felt a pair of eyes on me at that direction.

Maybe they knew I was turning. I'm just too predictable.

What I hated the most was that in every single class there's either Sakura or Ino. They both got lucky. I just got unlucky, as usual. I always have President of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club and President of the Sasuke Fan Club following me around. Yes, there are two. If you want to join one of them, choose Ino's. She's much less…perverted for some reason.

Finally, lunch time.

**Topic: **The letters, Take 2

My time to be free from teachers with high expectations and time to be free from being alone with one of the Sasuke Fan Club Presidents, or SFCP. Naruto sat down next to me, but his cheerfulness seemed a little empty today. Was it something I said? He was fine earlier in the morning.

I decided not to worry about it, and I got started on attacking the gross looking meat loaf with my fork. I wasn't hungry, but Kiba let me borrow some of his ten millions of strips of beef jerky. I wonder where his mother gets the money to buy so many strips of beef.

Ino and her probes are ready now. She pointed her blunt knife at my face first. She always chose me first. "Ne, Sasuke-kun…How're you doing with your pen pal?"

"If he heard you call him pen pal he'll probably rip you to shreds. Then say sorry. That's basically how much I know about him," I shrugged, trying to act a bit humorous. What I said back there was the truth. He'd be the kind of guy who'd do that. Then again, maybe he wouldn't say sorry.

"You're still doing the old school mailing process?" Ino asked. It wasn't a big question.

I shrugged again. "I don't think that I should ask him for his e-mail address. He'd probably say no. I don't know much about him, so I think I'll just lay off for a while." I stabbed the meat loaf again with my knife this time, getting bored. Ino started probing everyone else before finally sitting down and nibbling on her salad.

"So, this is a general question for everyone," Naruto said, though I felt his eyes on me. I ignored him trying to fully focus on the meat loaf that was torn to pieces. "Do you think you can get close to your… pen pal?" It was so directed to me.

"Sure." Sakura.

"No." Shino.

"I don't know." Kiba.

"Positive." Ino.

"Yeah!" TenTen.

"Definitely not." Neji.

"N-no…" Hinata.

"Not sure." Chouji.

"Of course!" Lee.

"I don't care." Shikamaru.

"I'm fine," Naruto said.

_I think this'll work out. _Was my answer. What I said was, "No, I don't think so…" I felt Naruto's hard glare on me, trying to probe through my mind like Ino always does. Usually, I'd make like a Shikamaru and say 'Humph', or 'I don't care'. It was obvious I was hiding something, and I was bad at hiding it. Naruto knew it.

Naruto seemed a little sad when he left the lunch table that day. Nothing else was worth mentioning during the day, except for the fact that Kakashi-sensei told us that he was going to expect a report on your progress with your 'pen pal' (Damn, I hate those words put together!) eventually. How the hell were we going to manage to do that?

When the bell rang and we all stood up, eager to finally leave class. It was Wednesday, and the week seemed to be dragging itself by ever so slowly. If Thursday and Friday took forever, too, I didn't know what I was going to do with my life. Usually Naruto and I either walk home together or we go separate ways. On Wednesdays Naruto usually came with me, but today he just muttered a good bye before leaving.

I frowned, wondering what I did wrong.

* * *

Eventually, the next day, Naruto seemed to try to ignore me, tried to stay away from me. It was unsuccessful. For a reason. He still kept sitting next to me at lunch. He probably didn't want me to notice that he was trying to avoid me, but Naruto didn't count in the fact that he's an idiot and none of his plans really would work without something wrong happening.

I tried to confront him after lunch, but I tried to hurry, too. My part-time job started early today, and I couldn't afford to be late. "Naruto," I said, unconsciously grabbing his shoulder, forcing him to stop. He knew I was stronger than him.

"…What's up, Sasuke?" Naruto was putting on an act. The act was a little bad, but Naruto was a pretty good actor. He wouldn't join drama club, though, saying that it's a girl's club. Sakura had insisted that girls like guys that could act (Which to me explains why girls like guys like Orlando Bloom), but Naruto wouldn't have any of that. He probably got over Sakura at that point, anyway.

"Why are you ignoring me?" I just got right to the point, stealing a glance at my watch. Time was moving away faster when you don't want it to. That's what you get when you have horrible luck, and time isn't on your side.

"I'm ignoring you?" Naruto said, this time acting confused. Uzumaki was buying time. I knew that he had to go to his basketball practice really soon. Sooner than I had to leave for my job. Luck was on the blonde's side. "Since when?"

"Since yesterday morning. When I said that I was getting along well with my…er…friend. You know, the one I have to send letters to? Just tell me why, Naruto, and tell me now. Quit the acting – I can read you like a book." I was blabbering again. I hate myself for that. I can't shut up when I get nervous.

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto said, absolutely nothing changing in his expression that I knew was fake. His grin was the same as usual, and he hid his eyes by closing them in a friendly way. His hands were placed on his hips, but they weren't clenched at all. He leaned slightly on one foot, in a posture that seemed to be laughing at me. And it wasn't funny at all. Naruto's just too good of an actor. Naruto then glanced down at his watch. "Sorry, Sasuke, I have to go to practice. Ja ne!"

I stared at him, trying to act natural, too. The girls thought I was a good actor. What a lie, "Y-yeah. See you." I had to worry. He's my best friend. And he's ignoring him.

And Naruto's not like that.

I tried to get my mind off of it, and just set off for my part-time job.

* * *

When I got home, still thinking about Naruto, I finally found something that would get my mind off of him. His reply came. I was thrilled, until I remembered the mounds of homework that was sitting in my backpack. I decided to just get that overwith before taking a rest (or possibly more stress) with a relaxing (or possibly angering) letter.

It took me a while to finish all of my homework. Half of it was from Science, Math, and Social Studies. I placed my pencil down when I finished the last question and grabbed the letter that was sitting next to me this entire time. I was still excited. Always will be. Did he like me or hate me right now?

_To: You, apparently._

_Fine. I won't send you anything if I'm grumpy. You'll barely get any letters then. Just kidding. But seriously, I'm grumpy a lot. This letter writing thing is just an escape. From the horrible life I lead right now._

_And dealing with sadistic people? How many sadistic people have you dealt with, anyway? Trust me, if you want sadistic, I'll give it to you. But I don't want to, for a reason. Since I don't want to write more than I have to, I'll just say: repeat of the last two sentences of the first paragraph._

_I still hate this, too. That won't ever change. So don't beat yourself up. It's your sensei's fault. Is his name Kakashi? Huh. I'm right, aren't I? Kakashi was my sempai once. I once lived in Konoha a long time ago until I moved to the Rain Country. This is probably my first contact with Konoha since I moved. _

_So I guess I lied about my life not being worth talking about. I practically lied. Lots of interesting things happened, but I don't feel comfortable telling my life story to a complete stranger like you. I bet you want to rip this letter up right now, but then you'd miss up something important I'll say at the end of this letter._

_So from now, since I don't want to waste paper, I'll take up the rest of the page with just some random things that I feel like saying._

_You people who live in Konoha must think that those who live in Rain got it good. Wrong. _

_Just because we aren't allowed to tell each other our names doesn't mean we could talk abut everyone else. I think one of your female friends who are extra excited about their new friendship with a 'hot guy' is in for a surprise when they meet. I can't wait to see that happen at the end of the year._

_Oh, yeah…Your so called 'horrible handwriting' is vaguely familiar to me. So's your attitude._

_To say something random, since I began sending letters to you, I think I regret my moving to a different country. I don't know. I have been considering moving back when I finish college, but someone will be mad at someone when someone comes home. Ha, I just dropped something that might be valuable to you. _

_Okay. Hope you don't mess yourself up._

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S. I think I know who you are. _

I stared at the message after the P.S. It was a little scary. I only sent him one very short letter. How could that have given him any clues as to who I am? Was it my 'horrible handwriting?' And my attitude. This guy was smart. So did I get a nerd for a pen pal? A sadistic nerd?

What a weird image.

_To: You, the 'Sadistic Smart-Ass' (I decided Nerd was too harsh)_

_So you really are grumpy 24/7. That's just great. I don't like dealing with grumpy people. Even though I am. Only in the morning. Oh, yeah, I forgot to add something to your title to me so far: Grumpy, Sadistic, Smart-Ass. The list shall go on. _

_Adding to that, I still don't like you. I'm still getting used to this process, and I have to admit, this letter sending thing is an escape for me, too. I have lots of work, too. I'm in school, too. Wow. I'm upset now. We have too much in common. Then again, a lot of people think that this is an escape, that they have lots of work, they're in school, too. Now I'm babbling again and I don't want to waste my eraser._

_So you know Kakashi-sensei? I swear, if he gets a hold of this my grade will go down. It'll go down without me even realizing it. Since when did you move out of Konoha? I don't get why anyone would move from here. Everyone who lives here doesn't even consider moving, though I personally think that would be a problem. Maybe then I'll move to a more rural area. That's right. I'm not an urban freak._

_My life was exciting until I started high school. It's the exact opposite for most people, but I have the worst luck ever. You'll hear me say that again in the future. Worst luck. Trust me. I have nothing to talk about now, but I don't feel like talking about my past. It just brings back bad memories._

_And maybe I shouldn't have said that because you'll figure out who I am. I don't want to lie, so I won't. So you'll know that all that I've written now is the truth and all that I'm going to write in the future is the truth. Lying is a pain, and it after a while you forget what you lie about and everything just becomes a story that has a 1 possibility of actually coming true._

_Konoha has all the lucky people and me living in there. Don't think that Rain is the only place that has it bad. It's Rain and me. _

_You make me just itching to see who is going to get the hilarious surprise._

_Well sorry if my handwriting is horrible. No one can write perfect. Even though you might be real close to it. _

_And I have no idea what you're talking about. I have been considering moving back when I finish college, but someone will be mad at someone when someone comes home? What the hell does that mean?_

_From, Anonymous._

* * *

I left to school feeling pretty confident again. The walk to the high school was quiet, and there was no one coming to join me. Konoha seemed pretty quiet, and I wondered why. Once I reached the school, Kiba ran over to me with a slightly worried look on his face. I opened my mouth to ask what's wrong until Kiba asked me something first.

"Do you know where Naruto is? He said he'll meet me at the school early but he isn't here. It's not like him to be late…and Naruto vowed at the beginning of the school year that he wouldn't be late, absent, or anything."

"Well, he could be sick," I tried to take the simple way out and convince Kiba that Naruto was okay. I was still trying to convince myself. Maybe it was still my fault.

"I tried calling him. No one would pick up. One time someone did but when I said that it was me he just hung up. Maybe you should call him," Kiba said. He was talking pretty fast. Naruto was Kiba's best friend, other than his rival Shino. They both got along for a reason: they're both rough idiots.

"Why would he be waiting to call me?" I wasn't in the talking mood. What I wanted to do today was to just think. I liked thinking. It's something that everyone doesn't do that I do.

"Don't you know?" Kiba blinked at me like I was the idiot. I scowled at him, crossing my arms. It was a defiant, 'No, I don't know. Now tell me or else'. At least Kiba could understand my body language. "Never mind then…" Kiba blinked at me again a few more times, as if thinking hard. It must be hard for him to think, anyway.

My scowl remained on as long as Kiba was in the room. I was trying to get him to crack and spill the beans about what I didn't know. So I was clueless sometimes, big whoop. I just hate it when I'm the one who's being treated as clueless, that's all.

Lunch time. A time when I refuse to be clueless.

**Topic: **Naruto's Absence.

Ino and her news reporter ways are at it again. Every one was going on about how Naruto was absent. Even the teachers were surprised. The idiot blonde was the life and soul of the school. That means that the school is dead until Naruto comes back. Yeah, face it. When I got to school I'm dead.

That means that this school is totally thrilling without Naruto (Sarcasm),

Everyone was going over their opinion of why Uzumaki was absent. Sakura's theory: "Maybe he went to visit his 'friend'." By friend she meant the guy he was writing to.

"I doubt it," Shino said. "It was Kiba's idea to visit them, but Naruto would mess up the college campus and he knows it. It's just not right for someone like him to be someplace like that." He made it sound like being a college student was bad. That doesn't fit, seeing that Shino was one of the most serious students among us, other than Sakura.

Chouji's theory: "He decided to make like a Shikamaru and play hooky."

"If I spent the time to hit you, my arm would be tired."

Ino's theory: "Maybe he met a hot girl that he liked and decided to stay with her the entire day."

Hinata blushed while saying quietly that she highly doubted it. I did, too. No girl really liked Naruto. No offense, Hinata.

Kiba mysteriously stayed quiet for that entire time, staring at me like I was a freak.

And you know what really scared me? Naruto didn't come to school for that entire week.

* * *

Thanks for reading so far! Review please? Oh, yeah, eventually they're going to give each other their e-mail addresses, but can you guys give me any suggestions two e-mail addresses that fit Sasuke and Itachi?

Oh, yeah, I think I should tell you who has who. Most of then have Akatsuki, but here:

Sasuke-Itachi Naruto-Deidara(He's Alive!) Sakura-Kisame (...) Kiba-Pein

Hinata-Sasori (He's alive!) Ino-Zetsu Shino-Kakuzu Lee-Hidan

TenTen-Konan

The rest has random people.


	3. Is the day

So more thanks for staying with me again. Read more, people, read more. Reading is good for you. Especially fan fiction. This one is more on Sasuke's past, because I want to get all that overwith before everything else starts up again. Not so funny, but if you read carefully there might be a little humor. I don't think of myself as funny.

**Chapter Three: Is the day…**

Unlike all the other days when something changed my life, that day was beautiful. The sun was shining on the world. I was just sitting at the park innocently, dangling my feet in the lake. It seems like such a long time ago. It was the day before my parents were killed.

My older brother came up behind me. He scared me. Without saying anything to me, he pulled me up from the water gently, his cold fingers running against my cheek. I didn't know what to do when your older brother steals your first kiss. I don't even know why I didn't object to it back then. Maybe I wanted to forget. Maybe that memory was just clouded over by the shock of my parents' deaths.

Spring was my favorite season back then. Now, it's winter.

* * *

I decided to skip school today. I didn't have to do my job today, so the timing was perfect. I didn't care if I was tardy in school anyway. The only reason I went was because all of my friends were there. The only reason my friends went was because all of their friends were there. So if no one went, no one will go.

But, eventually people will force us to go whether we want to or not. And if some people go, their friends will go, and the cycle goes on. No one in this world really has a free will. We do everything for a reason.

So I'm skipping school for a reason.

Everything happens at this same day, or at least around this same day. Spring, April 20th. On April 19th, my brother did something to me. On the 20th, my parents died. Two years after that, on the 20th, I woke up to find my brother gone. He left without a word, without saying good bye, after we just argued.

Maybe that's what they mean about how we should never keep our arguments overnight. It always turns out bad.

For some reason, though, I doubt that he left because of our argument. Maybe it had something to do with my parents' death. Maybe he was fed up with me and wanted out. He was a teenager at the time after all. I think he was around 16 or 15.

He gave up high school to try and support my education. I think he did that just to get something out of his mind. I'm about the same age as him, now, and I'm supporting myself just fine. Maybe if I wasn't born he'd be fine. I think maybe I use the word maybe way too much.

But the word 'perhaps' is too stuffy, so I'll keep using maybe anyway.

Which just makes me think that everything in this world is a maybe. This world is a maybe. I'm just getting irritating.

It's still early in the morning, so I figured I'd go for a walk. Hopefully I didn't stand out too much. Hopefully someone won't spot me and drag me to school, making me think without wanting to think. Hopefully I'd find a nice place to sit and think when I want to.

Which just makes me think that everything in this world is a hopefully, too. I tapped my fingers against the table, deciding that I would go out for a walk. Again, I made up a plan that my dog was lost and I skipped school to find it. It'd suck if the person knew me and knew that I had no dog. I'll just say that I was lonely and I just bought him yesterday. If they're too suspicious they'll go to the one and only pet store in Konoha and ask if I bought something yesterday. They'll say no, and I'll be in big trouble.

Like I said, lying is a pain.

Just stick to the truth. If someone asks me why I'm wandering out of school during in-school hours I'll just say that my parents died today and I don't want to hang around in a place where your parents' death doesn't matter.

It was a plausible answer.

Just taking a walk gives me a headache. For a reason, too. My favorite park that I used to visit when my family wasn't falling apart was always filled with little kids that made me wish I was one of them. If your parents died if you were little, when you grow up you forget nearly everything about them. If your older brother left you when you were little, you would forget nearly everything about him, too.

But, then again, it depends on how you want to define 'little'.

Sure, parents stared at me. I pretended they weren't there. I decided to watch the geese as the ambled across the field.

* * *

"_Nii-san, Tou-san and Kaa-san won't come back, will they?" I kicked a rock sullenly knowing the answer. Then again, a kid like me couldn't be too sure. My brother just stared at me for a while, and then he just turned back to the lake. "Nii-san? Aniki?" He was ignoring me. _

_His eyes were narrow. He looked tired, but his posture didn't show it. It looked like he wanted to faint, but he didn't. "Are you sick?" I couldn't think of anything else to say to him. He looked…scary._

_He jerked up, as if breaking out of a trance. "No, I'm fine." _

"_So…it's just the both of us, now, isn't it?" All of our relatives were dead. The Uchihas were blessed with bad luck. We were blessed with the omen of death. We all die so suddenly, we all leave so suddenly._

"_Yeah."_

"_How will we handle?"_

"_I think we'll handle. I'll take care of everything for you, okay? So just act like nothing happened." His rare smiles appeared again. It never happens any more. I wish I could grab a camera and take a picture, because I knew that one of those smiles would be even more rare now that our parents were gone._

"_Can I still go to school?" I was at the age when I liked school. When you grow up you learn to hate it._

"_Sure."_

"_What about you?"_

"_I can't."_

"_Why? You're so smart, why can't you?" I'm an idiot. I don't know anything._

"_I need to work find a job. When I turn 14 I'll be able to do better ones. For now, we basically have to live on the money our father and mother left behind." He was so simple. He acted like this was nothing. For me, that was the first turning point in my life. "Come on, Sasu-chan. Let's head home now, okay? Oh, yeah, don't tell anyone that you're living alone with me."_

"_Why?"_

"_Just don't. We're supposed to have a guardian taking care of us, but I think we're fine on our own."_

"_Mmm. Okay," I still didn't understand. Now I know that he didn't want to be separate from me. Not just then._

* * *

"Oi, kid."

"Ugh."

"You fell in the water."

"Huh?"

There was a crowd of people around me. The one who was shaking me was a man, apparently a father since a little boy was clutching on to him. A few mothers were behind him, their kids standing on their toes to see the teenager who fell in the water. Which happened to be me.

No wonder I felt wet.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

Of course they have to ask. Sometimes I think that adults have too much interest in teenager's lives. I stuck to the truth, just like I decided I would do. "My parent's died today, about eight years ago. My brother disappeared today, about five years ago." I wondered if that made any impact on them.

They all muttered sorrys, and I hope you'll be alrights and stuff like that. Adults never mean what they said though, but I decided to be a good boy and say 'Thank you' and 'Ill be fine'.

I returned home soon, and plopped on the bed, staring at the clock. I found myself staring at it for about thirty minutes.

* * *

"_Sasuke, what the fuck is wrong with your grade?"_

_My older brother as speaking profanities again. He had a bad temper lately, and he did stop to think about what he was saying to me. He was probably frustrated with me. I was frustrated with him. _

"_I didn't know what to write."_

"_I know you do."_

"_No I don't."_

_He seemed to calm down a bit, and he approached me. He caressed my cheek for a second with the back of his hand. I calmed down, too. He was resting his head against my shoulder. For a moment I thought he was crying. But I didn't feel anything wet through my shirt, so I supposed not. He lifted up his head._

_I felt the back of his hand press painfully against my cheek. It was a backhanded slap. He was still mad at me. Tears stung my eyes. _

"_I hate you!"_

_I ran to my room and closed the door. I never ate dinner that night, but I went to sleep crying. I had a dream of that day before my parent's died. When I woke up I decided that I would say sorry._

_I left the room with resolution. The house was unusually empty. Usually he would be making breakfast right now. I checked his room, empty. I looked out the window for his car. The car wasn't there. Tears ran down my cheeks the first night he was gone, realizing that I was alone._

_I waited for five years. There's still no sign of him._

* * *

I woke up, all sweaty, my pillow wet. I always have these dreams at this day. I hate it, and I like it at the same time. Remembering these things are painful.

What raised my spirits quite a bit was the fact that his reply came.

We were getting along well during the week Naruto was gone. He was my source of comfort all of a sudden, and now I really can't wait to write down everything that was on my mind to him.

The latest letter that I sent to him was this one:

_To you, The Sadistic, Grumpy, Understanding, Crazy, Nerd. (I'm still building up your name)_

_You have to be the weirdest person I met in my entire life. _

_My best friend still didn't come back yet. Do you think it's my fault? I still remember the last thing that I said to him before he got depressed:_ _"That guy that I said was a total bastard yesterday…I take that back. He actually took the time out to write me an apology. This might really work out, then."_

_Yeah. I called you a total bastard. It was a first impression, and I have to admit I was wrong. I said it. No need for an apology, now is there?_

_I guess there is. Sorry._

_I really don't have much to write at this moment. I'm tired, and I'm going to skip school tomorrow. I'll tell you why tomorrow. I trust you that much right now. And I have to thank you._

_So, really, thank you._

_From, Anonymous_

I was satisfied with that letter back then, and now I feel even better about it. The first funny thing that I thought about today was the new title I was going to give him. Eventually I'm going to waste out of adjectives that fit him. Then I'll resort to synonyms. I smiled to myself, and opened the next letter.

_Whoever gets this gets it._

_Well, sorry about being weird to you. You have to add that to my title up there. If you're expecting it to be insulting, it really isn't close. It's actually pretty funny._

_Do you have mental problems? Your best friend has a crush on you. He's totally jealous and stuff. Just give him some time. I swear you're laughing right now, but it's the most obvious thing. It's because you said "This might really work out, then." What is the 'This' that you're referring to? He thinks our relationship. Think about it._

_To get off that subject…_

_Are you the kind of guy that gets a fan club? Funny, I have one, too (Seriously). If you are, I can relate to you. Not that I can't relate to you right now._

_Everyone calls me a total bastard. No sweat._

_You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I really don't mind. Oh, yeah, if you're in the mood to, tell me about your best friend. I think I can sort some things out between you two._

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S.: I have a report to do. I would write more, but I can't._

I sighed, putting the letter down. I took a piece of paper – two, just in case. I was going to write a lot. The only way I can calm myself is if I write it all out. All I can do now is hope for his (helpful?) answer.

_To you, The Sadistic, Grumpy, Understanding, Crazy, Conceited, Weird, Nerd._

_This will be long, so before you start reading this please make sure you don't have anything else to do first. I'm not in an arguing mood today, just so you know. _

_I'll just tell you about why I'm skipping school and stuff first. I completely trust you, so if you have to give in a report about me then please don't include this. It's personal. _

_Well, to get it started, today, at least April 20__th__, is the day my parents died. I was only seven years old. My older brother (I don't want to mention his name) was walking me home. He was thirteen at the time. He was real smart and he was my role model. But that's beside the point. He ran into the house before me, and I followed. My parents were dead on the ground when I came in. The blood was fresh. They were killed before my brother and I went in._

_My brother decided to take care of me on his own, despite his age. He dropped out of school and started to work. He insisted that I stayed in school, and he became obsessed about my grades and stuff like that. Maybe because he wasn't able to care about his own grades._

_Well, one day in fourth grade, I got an F on purpose. He yelled at me. I told him that I hated him and ran into my room. When I came out the next morning he was gone, and he never came back. This happened on April 20__th__, too._

_Something else happened the day before my parent's died, but I don't feel comfortable telling you about it. _

_And now, about my friend, Naruto._

_He was my rival since pre-school. We hated each other immediately, because we're exact opposites. He has blonde hair and blue eyes, and he's the peppiest person you'll ever meet. _

_Our rivalry and hate lasted until we turned twelve. We became best friends then, and we've been best friends ever since. Opposites attract, I guess. He's always been there for me, and he was the only person I told about my family. He comforted me immediately. Naruto's just special. If he does like me more than a friend, I don't think I can return his feelings._

_I don't want to tell you why._

_I told you basically everything worth it about my life. How boring, huh? Well, I don't expect you to have pity or anything. I just want to get it all out. I've only 'met' you for a little more than a week and I told you my life story. Weird. I guess I do trust you that much. I'm babbling again. I don't want to waste my eraser, or this paper. I guess I didn't write as much as I thought I would, but I still have more to write._

_Yes, I have a fan club. There are two girls (Sakura and Ino). They're both best friends, but they're rivals when it comes to me. It's kind of hard to explain this while being modest… One of them made a fan club, the other mad a fan club, too. If you really are like me, you'd know how irritating they are._

_I'll apologize about calling you a total bastard. There. I felt sorry for you. Are you really that rough to everyone you know? _

_Just trying to get all of that out of me. Sorry about ranting. I'll be back to normal next time._

_From, Anonymous._

I was strangely satisfied as I stuffed this letter into the mail box.

And then I suddenly realized that I never used my brother's name this entire day.

* * *

Gaah, boring chapter, huh? Well, this leads up to a little more exciting chapter later on, so no sweat, kk? Thank you all so so so so so so much! Little more DeiDei-chan coming up. Little more surprising stuff coming up.

Still wondering about e-mail addresses! If not, they're going to have stupid ones because of my stupid imaginations! Hope you enjoy the next one!


	4. Is your name

Okay, you guys are great. My motivation! Yay! Great chapter coming, up. Enjoy, people, enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Is your name…?**

My first memory was about my brother. Our parents were out, and they trusted an eight year old to take care of their three year old son. He actually did care for me, until a thunderstorm came up and scared me half to death. He tucked me in bed and sang this lullaby that my mother used to sing to me.

I still have that music box with that same song. It just works better if someone sings to me instead. Call me high maintenance.

* * *

Today is probably my good luck day. The day after my parents died is a good luck day. It's weird, isn't it? I'm feeling happy today, too. I came back to school, glad that the teachers probably forgot that I was absent yesterday. Maybe because I'm usually completely silent in class. 

Naruto was back, and he brought the school back to life. More than half of the students came up to him to ask him why he was gone for that week. I envy him again. He's popular, even though he doesn't have a fan club. So I never get socializing.

I just walked to my shoe locker, still (in a way) brimming with confidence. When I opened it what surprised me a little was that a letter was sitting in there. At first I thought it was natural, because I've been seeing letters a lot recently. But then I realized that if a letter was placed in your shoe locker it's usually a love letter.

I slowly took it in my hands. I wondered how much time I had left. For some reason my stomach tied itself up in a knot when I noticed I came thirty minutes early. Naruto obviously came earlier, but he's always been an early bird.

The letter was opened nearly in a flash. This really sucked. Whoever it was, I was going to have to turn them down.

_I wrote your name in the sky,  
but the wind blew it away.  
I wrote your name in the sand,  
but the waves washed it away.  
I wrote your name in my heart,  
and forever it will stay._

_I thought love was just a mirage of the mind,  
it's an illusion, it's fake, impossible to find.  
But the day I met you, I began to see,  
that love is real, and exists in me._

I just stared at it. It was a huge "What the fuck???" (Did I say that out loud?) to me. The poems were kind of nice, but… still.

"Uchiha Sasuke, detention."

"Huh?"

Tsunade, the principal, was standing right behind me. I tried to make up an excuse, but she wouldn't have any of it. I had detention after school tomorrow, and the day after that. She hates profanities. So we all just shut our mouths around her. I just happened to be the unlucky guy who received a weird love letter and yelled "WTF" in front of the principal who hates profanities.

"I said, Uchiha Sasuke, detention. No profanities in this school. You very well know that." Tsunade briskly walked away. She was a strict teacher, only nice at times. Especially nice to Naruto.

"What's up?" Speaking of Naruto, the blonde just appeared behind me. "What did Tsunade-obaa-chan tell you?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just detention." I spoke as if it was nothing. Naruto grinned at me and we talked for a bit, and then he spotted the letter in my hand. He turned a little red and told me that he had to go and give a note to Tsunade about his absence. It sounded like an excuse. Of course it was an excuse.

I stared at him as he left. Did Naruto really have a crush on me? And why was he absent for an entire week? He was acting like it was nothing himself, and he didn't seem to change at all. Except he's a little bit quieter. Just a little.

I shrugged, pushing those thoughts away. Today is my day. That was what I thought. Until I received that love letter that was supposedly from Naruto. I looked at it again, and sighed. No one had written down their name. It's always like that. Who writes their names in love letters any more?

No one. Because love letters are getting old, in my opinion. Why? Because everyone uses them. So how is it getting old? No clue.

I suck at love things. Kind of obvious by now.

And I have a fan club. Life is just so odd.

* * *

Lunch time! Ino probing time! I'm not happy. Exclamation points are just fun. 

**Topic: **Naruto's Absence (With Naruto)

"Naruto, why the hell were you absent?" Ino stuck her fork in Naruto's face. The blonde backed off a bit, inching his chair away from the table. Ino and her probes are at it again, just for you to know. "Answer, or get pie in your face."

"If I don't answer, you'll get detention," That was Naruto's back-up plan. Despite his stupidity, Naruto is kind of clever. You have to shove the problem right up in his face and break it down like you're talking to a pre-schooler, though. Ino did just that.

"Just answer," Ino said, putting her fork down. "We're all _dying _to know." Naruto glanced at each of us to see if we really were dying to know. We all nodded slowly, giving him the group stare.

Unluckily, Naruto is defiant, and no means no unless you give him a big offer.

"I'll let you come over my house! I just got a Wii," Kiba offered.

"No thanks. Got a Wii right when it came out."

"Lucky," I smirked. I didn't really care, but he was lucky like that. I can't afford to buy any video games, but I'm not a serious gamer at all. It's more like a past time at parties and stuff like that. Especially at the lucky kid's place. AKA, Naruto's place

"Look, if you guys are still gonna probe me about this; I'm sitting with the Sand Siblings." He gestured to the depressed looking Gaara and his weird older brother and sister, Kankurou and Temari.

Naruto knew how to make a threat. Once he hangs out with Gaara once they'll be going over each other's house every single day. They avoid each other because Naruto's dad and Temari were getting irritated. Kankurou didn't mind, but Naruto hated that guy to death.

"Fine, fine," Ino gave in. "But you're going to have to tell us eventually. If not, I swear I will find out, Uzumaki."

"What if I was just sick?"

"If you were 'just sick' you would've told us that you were. The fact that you're resisting just proves that something's up." There goes smart Sakura. Sakura, the pink haired smart girl who can't do anything beyond academics. Sure, she was kind of flexible, and she packs a punch when you get her mad, but athletics? Not her thing.

"'Bye. I'm off to the Sand Siblings' table."

"I take that back!"

"Okay."

I smiled. Naruto was back, and hopefully he wouldn't disappear again.

* * *

He wrote me back! Happiness! I remember hearing this old song from some musical I think (I don't remember) with a weird song called Happiness. It was weird. Very weird. When you're a little kid you like those things until you grow older and you go 'Why in the world would I like such a song'? It's like when you listen to an oldies music station and then you finally get around to listening to a hit music station. You look back at the oldies music station and you're glad that you made that change. 

It's like when I started writing these letters. I'm so glad I made that change. What I needed right now was his answer. I basically ripped open the envelope and looked at the letter. The reply was short, and the handwriting changed in the middle of it. I stared at it. Finally, I read it.

_To the person who keeps building up a stupid nickname,_

_I don't know what to say about your life story, so I'll skip onto the part about your best friend. His last name is Uzumaki? I'm right. No one in this world is named Naruto except for Uzumaki. I met your best friend's dad once. Nice guy. Back on subject, yes, he has a crush on you. I can't believe you, it's kind of obvious. Is he back yet? Eventually he'll come out and say it. _

_He might be shy down in the inside. Deep down. Expect a love letter__. If you don't get one, I'll admit it. I was wrong._

_I only have one thing to say about your past life. And it really isn't going to help at all. But then again, it might. I don't know._

_Is your name Sa_

I stared at it. The sentence wasn't finished. He knew who I was. But then again, there could be a chance that he meant…um…Saburo or something like that. There was more, and it was apparently written by someone else. The handwriting was a little messier, but at least one level above mine. There were hmms, yeahs, and uns at the end of his sentences. Naruto's partner? I shrugged, and continued reading, finding no consolation whatsoever.

_Sorry about that. My friend has gone missing again, yeah… He always does that, so don't worry about him, yeah. _

_Ignore my yeahs. It's just how I talk and write…yeah._

_Hmm. I can't write like him. I was planning on acting like him and writing to you in place of him, but I don't think I can do that, yeah. _

_Back to the fact that he's gone missing. Um…He does that every once in a while, yeah. Goes missing and stuff. Been like that ever since I met him, but I'll admit it, I do know a little bit about him, yeah. Of course, I won't tell you his name or anything…just that we're all sort of worried about him…yeah. Where he went? No clue. Probably somewhere in Konoha, his hometown, yeah. I think he wants to move back. _

_I can't say much more right now, yeah._

_From Deidara, yeah._

_P.S. Art is a bang!_

Dumbfounded is one way to put it. Completely dumbfounded. Deidara, huh? Resist temptation to call Naruto and tell him that his 'pen pal' (I still hate those two words put together but I can't find another way to specify them) had mailed me and that he told me his name: Deidara. I realized how much I hate the word 'yeah' now, too (What happened to the 'hmms' and the 'uns'?).

I felt oddly lonely that night. No one to consult my problems to. I stared at the ceiling, wondering if I should take the time to write back. I argued with myself, speculating if it was worth it to talk to someone else for a change. I wanted him back. By him I meant the Sadistic Nerd. Finally I grabbed a piece of paper and pen, and wrote.

_Deidara,_

_Um…thank you for writing to me about this? (? for I don't know if I should thank your or not yet.) It was just a little unexpected. _

_You're my best friend's partner for the assignment, aren't you? He described you to us by telling us that you used some weird things at the end of your sentences. It's annoying. I mean your yeahs. Totally annoying._

_Does this mean that I have to write to you for now? Great. I'm going to hate the word yeah and I'll become stuffy and use the word 'yes' instead. All thanks to you._

_You sure he's in Konoha? Positive? If not, you can tell me all you know about him. Just between you and me, okay?_

_If he's back just tell him that you wrote to me instead. Tell me immediately when he's back. _

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S.: Art is a bang? What the hell does that mean?_

It was short, but I didn't want to bother with him. It wasn't the same, it just wasn't. My high spirits and curiosity towards Naruto was doused. I didn't have the heart to do my homework so I just plopped down on my bed without changing and fell asleep.

* * *

School: No important topic. Very short time skip. 

Very short.

* * *

Deidara wrote me back in just a few days. His replies weren't as fast as the Sadistic Nerd's but it'd do. My escape was gone, so the days seemed longer. Much longer. So much longer that I felt like I was a thousand years old. I wasn't exaggerating. In fact, I wasn't exaggerating enough. Ten million. There. 

_To, you, hmm. _(So there's his hmm!)

_Yeah, that's probably me your best friend's talking about, hmm. No one in the world can use these kinds of things at the end of their sentences. Eventually they'll forget that they have to use it and go back to regular talk, hmm. I'm dedicated. Sorry if my dedication is annoying you._

_Yep. You have to write to me now. Just for now. Until he comes back. Man, it's hard not using someone's name._

_And no, I'm not sure he's in Konoha. It's just that sometimes one of us sees him wandering around there and we drag him back. We just think that he hangs in Konoha every once and a while, that's all, hmm._

_And yes, I'm glad to tell you a little bit about him. That weird guy, hmm. He appeared in the Rain Village, and he was just 'there' until we decided to let him stay at our place for a while. He's like a part of us now, so, yeah._

_He's a big mystery if you ask me, hmm. He doesn't talk a lot, but when he does he's usually irritated, amused, or enraged. I've never actually seen him communicate with someone so well. Congrats, dude, yeah. Well, ever since this project started he seemed a little less…depressed, I think. He never told us about his life before he moved to Rain, but I'm pretty sure it's something about that, hmm._

_For some reason he gets especially hurt when someone tells him that they hate him. He usually says that he doesn't care, that he hears it all the time, but even if he doesn't know the person at all, it seems to take him a while to recover, hmm. _

_So he's been a little sadistic at times, too. He likes to see people suffering because he wants to get back at the world, I think, hmm. I think that you stopped him from committing suicide, too, if that makes you feel any better. This assignment just completely helped him out, I suppose, hmm._

_Our professors are going to make us wrote a report about this, hmm. They're probably going to do the same thing to you pretty soon, so I'd better think quickly about what you're going to write. Your partner's not normal, hmm._

_So, that about sums it up. He probably won't come back soon._

_Deidara_

_P.S.: Remember that. Art is a bang._

What a gold mine of information. Not really. I kind of figured that he was like this, anyway. Except not the 'depressed' part. He seemed a little happier than depressed. About five levels above depressed.

But just thinking about the Sadistic Nerd made me think about my older brother, Itachi. Itachi. It was the first time I ever thought his name in a long time.

They're alike.

I don't hate him. I especially don't hate the Sadistic Nerd. I just feel missing without him.

And I don't know what that means.

* * *

Weird chapter. Weird. Sorry if it's a bit short. I didn't have a lot of ideas for this chapter, but next one'll be better. Okay, many thanks to YuiDirnt for giving me the idea for Sasuke's e-mail address! looking for one for Itachi, so any ideas, give it to me!!! Please review and stuff! Thank you all! Love you all! Next one coming up as soon as possible. 


	5. Never Mind

Thank you all so much for your support! This chapter's a little better. Boring in the beginning, real exciting in the middle (plus some randomness about libraries), gets a little less exciting, more of a relief at the end. I have a lot to say at the end...but, still, enjoy! Sasuke and I will try to make it as enjoyable as we can, isn't that right, you weird avenger? He says yes, people, he says yes.

**Chapter Five: Never Mind**

One of the best times I Had in my life was the time when my school had an open house. My parents were already dead. I was in fourth grade. I knew Itachi was extremely busy so I just put the open house sheet down in my room and fell asleep. I had a dream that he would come to the open house without telling me. I woke up in the middle of the night- I thought I heard something - but then I found out that it was nothing.

The day of the open house, all the kids had their parents or siblings or whatever coming. I didn't expect anyone to come, so I was a little depressed and…emo, I think. My spirits lifted once I saw the teacher stare at someone just coming in. Of course, the only person that would grab a bunch of people's attentions like that would be Itachi. I felt like I could trust him with everything.

Right now, I trust the 'Sadistic Nerd' with everything. If only he'd come back.

* * *

It already has been a week. He still hasn't come back. All the classes were one year and lunch time felt like ten meals. The pervs at my part time job just got even more perverted. I stayed silent most of the time, acting like an emo kid again. What I mean by again is that I acted like an emo kid after my brother left. There's a weird similarity to those two, my brother and the Sadistic Nerd, I mean. 

The Sadistic Nerd is sadistic, and really smart. My brother is sort of sadistic, and he's really smart, too. The SN (Sadistic Nerd) understands me and has a fan club, too. My brother understood me and he had a fan club. If he's alive out there, he probably has a fan club, too. The SN has a weird sense of humor, just like my brother.

When both of them are gone I feel really lost.

I frowned and stared out the window. My homework was way easy. I just had to write a report on my progress with my 'pen pal'. Kakashi knows all about me, I think. Like when to torture me. Thought he sometimes comforts me.

Um, although he barely comforts me.

Stupid, stupid, white haired sensei.

I might as well get started on that. I stared at the paper for about an hour without even thinking about what to write. I just thought about how the Sadistic Nerd would look like in real life. He said once in a letter that he was marked as 'good-looking' very often. And that he has a fan club. And that the fan club is irritating. If a person isn't milking the fact that they have a fan club usually means that it's true that they're handsome. I remember him mentioning once that he had black hair. It probably wasn't bluish-black like mine. (Whenever I'm wearing blue my hair looks black. Whenever I'm wearing black my hair looks blue. The utter truth.) That's all that he would say about his looks, even though he would constantly bring up the fact that he is the handsomest guy on his college campus (which brought up the conceited part).

When I realized that I should be writing a paper instead of thinking about the guy who disappeared out of my life, I just thought of something real quick and wrote it down, putting about three or four adjectives with the same meaning with every noun and about one adverb with every verb.

Seeing that everyone else in my class are suckish writers, Kakashi would have to give me at least a B+ with this paper. Not my worst grade and not my best. Oh well. There's no one to nag me about grades anymore, anyway.

Bored out of hell, I called up Naruto.

"Hey, Naruto," I said, trying to sound happy.

"Whaaat?" Naruto said. It sounded like he just woke up from a snooze. "No, Tsunade-obaa-chan, I'm not visiting you today, I feel just fine…"

"What the hell are you talking about?" I frowned, trying to decipher what the blonde just said. "It's me, Sasuke. Do I fuckin' sound like that old lady Tsunade to you?"

"Still irritated at getting detention, aren't you, you perfect I-never-got-detention-until-I-screamed-"WTF?-in-front-of-a-teacher, you," Naruto said in a mocking voice. That wasn't the truth. I got detention for being tardy and not handing in a note why. Naruto just likes mocking me. And mocking is one of the things that get me mad the most.

"Argh, shut up, Uzumaki! You know what; I have no clue why I called you in the first place." I slammed the phone down and banged my head against the wall wondering what was going on. I realized that I missed the receiver when Naruto's loud voice started yelling out apologies. I apologized to him, muttered 'Bad mood' and hung up.

Naruto wouldn't have to be depressed when I say 'Bad mood' and then I hang up. He should be used to it. I do it half the time. To everyone.

I realized that I was desperate in slaking my boredom, I called his number. By his, I mean Itachi, my older brother's. I don't expect him to answer the phone. I'm just doing this to pass time away.

I waited for a moment, and then I heard someone pick up. My heart skipped a beat.

"Hello?" It was his voice. I recognized it, even after about five years. I thought quickly wondering if what I should say.

"I'm sorry, wrong number!" I cried about to hang up.

"Do I know you? I recognize your voice." It's just like him. I felt deep blush marks appear on my face, and began to wonder why.

Finding it hard to breath, I just shook my head and said in a strangely high-pitched voice, "N-no, of course you don't! Um…what's your name?" I had the nerve. I had the nerve to ask him.

"Uchiha Itachi."

I gulped. It was him alright. He was being sadistic enough to torture me over the phone, knowing that I wouldn't dare hang up when he picks up. He knows it's me. He remembers our old phone number. Oh, God, help me. "Well, um," I found myself sounding like a little kid. "I'm sorry for bothering you!" I didn't want to hang up. The conversation was just leaning towards me hanging up. I just hope he doesn't hang up.

"Hn. Fine, fine, Sasu-chan." He hung up. Hopes destroyed. It's official – I have bad luck. And then I finally got to process through my dumb head what he just said.

_Sasu-chan_. My old nickname. He always used to call me by that name. I placed the phone carefully down, wondering how he found out who I was. Well, duh, I never moved out of our apartment so he'd know the phone number. And yeah, I sounded like my old self over there.

But there it was. Proof that he was alive out there. I smiled as I felt my heart calm down in my chest.

_Man, I'm turning into such a girl. _

On the (sort of) upside, the mail arrived.

_To I can't mention his name's pen pal, un._

_I think my friend who you miss so much is coming back, soon. He always comes back in a little over a week, un. Something weird must've hit him and he needs about two weeks to think it through. He's always like that. But, if you get him to like you a lot then he'll stop disappearing so suddenly, un._

_What I mean by we? I mean our little gang. Akatsuki. It's just a little group of ours. It's nothing important. _(He's been saying 'we and us' a lot so I just had to ask)

_Yeah, well I don't have much to say about this all. Got to write a report on my pen pal, un. He's just a ball of fun, that kid, un._

_From your temporary pal, Deidara, un._

_P.S: I will get you to say Art is a Bang!_

I frowned. Great. This guy is so annoying. He always changes from his little sentences endings to the next one. Personally, I wish he would shut up. And I mean it; get the fuck out of my life, Deidara.

The nice side of me wrote the letter.

_To Deidara,_

_Thanks for doing this for me. You really don't have to. Just tell me when he comes back and everything will be fine, okay?_

_My best friend keeps bragging to us about you. He's been acting weird lately. Has he told you anything weird? Even if he begged you not to tell me, tell me anyway. It's important, okay? Don't tell him I asked._

_From, Anonymous._

_P.S.: Never._

My letters were getting short. Very short. There was really nothing I could do about it, seeing that this Deidara guy is a total pain in the neck. Now I know how Shikamaru feels about half of our noisy group.

I stuffed it in the mail box, now doubting that the Sadistic Nerd would even come back anymore.

I admitted it to myself. My life was meant to be fucked up.

* * *

Naruto was utterly happy lately. So irritating to me, especially since I'm the exact opposite of utterly happy. Speaking of the dynamic blonde, I began to wonder what he meant about 'I'm not visiting you today, I feel just fine…' think. Was he sick or something? 

I glanced at him, looking for any sign of sickness. He was laughing his ass off at a perverted joke Kiba just made. Nope. No sickness. Except being a pervert.

So then I just spent the rest of my day separate from everyone else. I spent about one hour doing detention with Tsunade again for screaming a curse yesterday (I got mad at Kurenai-sensei, threw something at her, and then left the room). She yelled at me especially because Kurenai, who was pregnant, had a break down right after she left, wondering why everyone hated her.

So I had a week's worth of detention. So I couldn't go to my part time job. I am so gonna get yelled at by the manager. I'm so gonna get fired. Actually, maybe not, since the manager told me that I attract a lot of customers to the restaurant. Why? Because half of the restaurant's customers are perverts. I said that ten millions of times but it's so true that it's not even funny.

Going back to the fact I have detention…yeah. Not much to say there except detention again. And that my life is so messed up that if this went on any longer I wouldn't even remember how it got messed up.

After detention, I was just leaving the school until Kakashi stopped me. I was probably getting yelled at again about Kurenai. She's like the baby teacher of the school. She's been teaching here for a while, and she still is the baby teacher of the school. Because she's going to have a baby, and that Asuma never shuts up about her.

"Sasuke, may I speak to you for a moment?" He said in that oh so gentle voice that I wanted to crush so much because he messes up my life as much as that Deidara guy does.

"Uh, sure," I said, unsure if I can stay in this stuffy school any longer. How long to teachers stay in the school afterwards, anyway? There's a secret door in the gym that leads to a room where all the teachers party in. That's the normal answer.

Kakashi was worried about me. I can see it in his one eye that's showing. His other eye isn't so good, so he covers it up. He always wears that kind of mask that dentists do, too. Don't know why. Thinks kids like us are contagious. This reminds me that Kakashi was one of the people I told about my problem. You know, about my older brother and parents. He was probably going to talk about that.

"Itachi-kun called me earlier."

"He did?" I was a little shocked. "Is he doing okay?"

"He's doing fine, and I'm glad that you still care about him so much," Kakashi said. I knew there was a smile under that mask of his. He's torturing me with it. The last thing I want to see is my sensei smiling under his mask. "Well, he said that he's in town, and that he wants to talk to me."

"And you're telling me this why?" I said. He's in town? Where? "Why does he want to meet with _you_, and not _me?" _I had to ask. Why? Really, why? He doesn't care about me any more. That's the answer.

"And he told me that no matter what don't tell you that he's in town."

"And you told me why?"

"Because I thought that you had to know. But I'm not telling you when and where I'm going to meet him," Kakashi said. "He says that his conversation with me is really important and if you hear it he's going to take it all out on me. Itachi didn't say that, but I know that's what he's going to do."

"Fine."

"Don't go looking for him, either," Kakashi added. "Please. I'm afraid he'll hurt you again." Our conversation ended there. I felt a surge of appreciation towards my stupid, white haired sensei. A teacher who actually cares. That's what this school needed. "Okay, well I've got to go, Sasuke. This conversation never happened. I'm telling you this because I care." The sensei left.

"Sure, sure," I said giving him a sincere smile. You have to wonder about Kakashi. He tortures you, and then tells you exactly what you need to hear. He's like my father, or my older brother.

An older brother I don't think I ever had.

I crashed into Naruto as I was walking home. I had nothing better to do (I finished my homework in detention) so I decided to go and with him to the library. Why would Naruto be in the library? No clue.

"You see, my pen pal keeps saying 'Art is a bang!' at the end of his letters," Naruto said, a big smile on his face. We were on the letters thing again. Great. "Well, since we have to write a report, I need to write in one of the computers in the library. They have a printer, and my mom is a close friend to one of the librarians, so they'll let me."

Naruto, the epitome of lucky. I had to smile at him.

"So how're you doing with your friend?" Naruto said. He sounded a little reluctant to bring up that end of the conversation. He forced it, and a best friend would know. I didn't want to hurt his feelings, but I didn't want to hurt my own.

"Um, actually, he disappeared. I think your friend is mailing me temporarily, at least until he comes back. They say that he disappears like that a lot…" I stared at the ground, my 'I'm depressed, don't mess with me' expression appearing. "And I really miss him, but I think he'll come back." I had a fake smile on my face.

Naruto looked at me for a while, trying to decipher my grin. He knew it was fake. A best friend would know. Naruto grew quiet for a long while, but then I decided to crank up a conversation that would hopefully be good for him.

"But I never told you…I received a love letter last week," I completely forgot about it. I just reminded myself about that letter by trying to save Naruto from disappearing again.

I was glad. My plan worked. The spiky-haired kid's face lit up again. "Yeeeah? What does it say?" Naruto likes this type of dialogue. I don't. See how we're still exact opposites?

"It had two poems in there. They were nice, really nice," I tried not to act like a girl. I realized I was acting like one, anyway. I was playing with my spiky, molested-porcupine hair more often, too. And I did hear a pervert say behind my back that I could pass for a girl if I wore different clothes and put my hair down. _SAVE ME! I'M TURNING INTO A GIRL! _

Oh well. Back to this subject.

"So, who wrote it?"

"Oh, um…I don't know. The person didn't write their name." Real life situations are so much like anime and manga situations. Man. That's bad luck for you.

"You'll figure it out," Naruto said, a confident beam on his face. He opened the door to the library and we both walked in, bringing our voices down to a whisper. Naruto walked up to the librarian, said a few things, then walked over to the computer and started writing his report. I just wandered around, looking at books.

Our library is kind of small. There are basically five floors. The first floor is the kids/teen's section. It has the kind of books that kids my age would read, and little kids would read. The second floor is the adult section, with an array of complicated adult novels. The third floor has videos and stuff like that. The fourth floor has reference books, you know, like encyclopedias and stuff like that. The fifth floor is practically the 'Restricted Area'.

When you open a book in the 'Restricted Area', a face appears on the page and screams. Then you scream, close the book, pick up your lantern and Invisibility Cloak and hope that you weren't caught for sneaking in.

Just kidding. I'm glad life isn't like Harry Potter's, really.

I told Naruto that when he's done he'd find me hanging around in the second floor. Once I climbed up the stairs, I turned the corner, gasped, and hid behind the wall. Itachi and Kakashi were there, having their little chat.

My heart pounded, and I was glad that I wasn't seen by my older brother's observant eyes. I peeked over, stealing a glance at my brother. He was obviously taller now, even though he was sitting down. He still had that straight posture, too. Itachi still had his hair long and black and pulled back.

I glanced at Kakashi, and I was glad that he still hadn't noticed me around. I tried to listen in, but I couldn't hear a word they were saying. Itachi stands out in a crowd, sure, but in a library, (Especially in the adult section where the stricter librarians reside) you're supposed to stay as quiet as possible. And they were staying as quiet as possible.

I stood there for a long, long time, my eyes closed. It felt like I was hiding from a serial killer that was after me. It wasn't long until a feeble old lady came over to me and started asking me what's wrong.

"_Ooh,_ are you sick? Should I call the librarian? _Ooh…_"

_Ugh. Fuck off, woman._

If I ever grow old and become like that, I'll just kill myself so I don't ruin adolescent's lives. I dared to take a peek at them.

"_Ooh_, are you okay? Is there something you want? _Ooh…"_

My eye twitched slightly.

"Okay, thanks for listening, Kakashi-san." Itachi had stood up, and walked towards me. I didn't know what to do. Sprint down the stairs? I'd either make too much noise or trip. Damn, this old lady was bringing me too much attention.

I opened my eyes and noticed that Itachi probably scared the old lady away. She quit from annoying me. I spotted her and her elderly husband shuffling towards the elevator. She said good-bye. I just remembered. But then again, I had more problems at hand.

Itachi stopped in front of me. _It's too late to run now, _I told myself. He seemed to take a glance at me. I just stared up at him, trying to make an innocent face. I tried to act like I wasn't scared of him. He looked like he could, and would, beat me up right on the spot. For what? I have no clue.

I heard him whisper something, but my mind didn't process what he said until he left.

And then I realized what he said.

"Kawaii, ne?"

* * *

Naruto was babbling as we both walked home. My brain hurt, and I just wanted to go home. He stared at me for a while, and we walked in silence after he noticed that I wasn't responding to anything he said. 

He asked me what's wrong.

I just told him the first thing that came to my mind.

"Oh, I'm just thinking about my 'pen pal', that's all!"

_I'm so stupid!!!_

* * *

Naruto was absent the next day. It's definitely because of me. It's definitely because of me. It's my entire fault. 

Because I know that my best friend is in love with me and I can't return his feelings.

* * *

A few days passed. There's really one thing that I need to tell you.

Naruto came back after a while. He's acting just fine, except for the fact that he's quiet around me.

Oh, yeah, and Deidara hasn't been mailing me at all. Don't know why. I just got home from my part time job, not expecting anything to happen – no mail from Deidara and no mail from the Sadistic Nerd. And hopefully no encounter with my older brother again.

But I did get a letter. I didn't know who it was from, Deidara or the Sadistic Nerd, but I found out when I opened it.

There it was. That beautiful handwriting was back. The letter was a lot longer than Deidara's and there were no more random words at the end of sentences. I resisted from jumping up and down and screaming, "Yes! Finally!" So instead I just calmly read it, my heart pounding happily.

_To you, the one that probably missed me a lot._

_I'll give you one second to either be angry or thrilled. Or both. _

_You're second's done. Onto life._

_Deidara told me a lot about you. I never thought anyone would miss me that much. I seriously didn't. You're really different from everyone else, aren't you? _

_Man, it feels weird writing again. Sorry about the disappearance. I had some business to do in a different country. I don't even remember how long I was gone. I just hope you're not mad at me or anything. Deidara says you aren't, but I don't know. You're just a little unreadable. _

_Maybe not unreadable, but unpredictable. I think that's the same thing, but whatever…_

_I have to ask…Did you really feel lonely and lost without me? Because that's the kind of impression I get from a person like you. Oh, well. Answer. I know you want to. _

_Oh, yeah…No, I can't tell you what I did or anything. That's kind of personal. And no, I don't have a girlfriend. I completely forgot to tell you that I'm single because no one on this college campus (or universe) has my interest._

_Maybe you, if that makes you feel any better._

_Hahahaha. I'm not kidding, though._

_If you're not mad at me, then write all your life's worries down in the next page. If you're mad, rip up this page and let's both get F's in English. Deal? Great._

_From, Anonymous._

_P.S.: You know what I said about your name? Never Mind. Don't ask me about it. I don't think I'm right anyway._

I wasn't mad. Just thrilled. I grabbed a piece of paper, and got started.

* * *

Okay, a lot of things to say, so I'd better start now. 

That poem in the last chapter isn't by me.

There's going to be about 14 chapters in this story. And every once and a while these characters and their personalities will be back for oneshots for holidays and birthdays and stuff like that.

Oh, yeah, and if you don't know what 'Kawaii, ne?' means, it's 'Cute, huh?' He was directing it to Sasu-chan. Poor kid.

I'm going to start a new fanfiction after this. It's either ItaSasu or NaruSasu.

Hikari, thanks for that review. I've done a few things wrong. Sorry 'bout that!

I had a day off yesterday, but my updates will be a little slower now. I have school, y'know.

Yeah, that's it. Next chapter will be a little more exciting!


	6. What should I do?

Oh, wow. Thank you all for your reviews. Highly appreciated! Very highly appreciated.

I'm going to apologize in advance for my slow update. Sorry, people. I'm sorry that this world is so weird that they force people to get an education. But then again, without that education I wouldn't be able to write this. Hmm.

**Chapter Six: What should I do?**

I always thought that my older brother had an affair with my cousin, Shisui. They were close – closer than I was to my Itachi, but I was fine with that. It just made me glad to see that Itachi could get along with someone. But the fact that they seemed to be getting _too_ along, bothered me.

Can't anyone be jealous? Even when they're only about seven years old?

* * *

_To you, the Sadistic Smart-Ass. I shortened your name. It'll stay this way. No complaints._

_I'm thrilled. I seriously am. If you read the letters I gave to Deidara you would've known that, unless you were lying about how smart you are. I'm just absolutely glad that you haven't died on me._

_Deidara said you were in Konoha. He said that last time they found you in Konoha. Is it true? Just tell me. Just say yes or no. You could've dropped by. But then again, you don't know my address. I'll give you it a little later, okay? I have a lot to say, and I'm not so happy about most of it._

_Naruto, my best friend, came back. He was acting the same as usual, but I got a love letter. I think it's from him. He always grows happy when I talk to him about it. I don't know what to say. He's only my best friend, nothing more, but I don't want to hurt his feelings. Do you know what I have to do?_

_Another thing about Naruto. One time I was really depressed and all, and totally bored, so I called Naruto. He muttered something like, "No, Tsunade-obaa-chan, I'm fine today, I'm not visiting you" or something like that. What do you think that was about?_

_After that I had the nerve to call my older brother. I didn't expect him to answer, but he did. I didn't know what to say, so I kept saying that I had the wrong number, but for some reason I didn't want to hang up. Instead he hangs up, using my old nick name that he used for me a long time ago. That's just plain old freaky._

_And Kakashi-sensei, you know him; he wanted to talk to me. He said that my older brother was in town and that he wants to talk to him. I was upset, because of the fact that my older brother wants to talk to Kakashi and not me._

_Que sera, sera. _

_I just walked with Naruto to the library on that same day. When I went up one floor I saw Kakashi and my older brother talking. An old lady started pestering me, too, but that's beside the point. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but eventually my brother stood up and walked towards the stairs, where I was hiding. I have no clue why I didn't run, but he stopped in front of me._

_He called me cute. That's just no fair!_

_And life has been boring ever since. That's practically it. _

_Just a few comments on your letter…_

_People say I'm unique. I just think my past is unique. Me in general…nope. I don't find anything unique about me._

_Sure, I was lonely and lost. I'll admit that. Man, that's embarrassing to say…_

_And I seriously interest you? In what way?_

_Tell me. Who do you think I am?_

_From, Anonymous_

I just smiled to myself. My life was over for about two weeks. Revived from the dead. I think those two weeks were just a glimpse of hell. Hell in modern world, without the flames and people dressed up in devil costumes.

* * *

Like I said, Naruto was back. Just acting awkward towards me. He's silent when he's around me, and I found myself paired up with him a lot in gym for random things. We're always in the same team in gym. Wow. How odd. The teacher must think that we work better together. 

We do. Just not now.

At gym the girls were playing volleyball and the boys were playing softball. Naruto and I were on the same team of course, and we were playing outfield. The ball was headed in the middle of us two, and we both ran over, crashed into each other, and in the end the other team got a few good points. I resisted from yelling at him, though my inner self was screaming at him. Naruto just seemed to play silently and worse than usual.

Looking back at that incident, I can imagine us two in Fairly Odd-Parent's graphics, trying to catch the ball and crashing into each other. It's just like the classics. A thing like this usually doesn't happen in real life. Usually.

Lunch time. How unfortunate.

**Topic: **My love letter???

I had no clue how Ino and her probes found out. It was one of the most embarrassing things to talk about. Your love life. Especially if your love life isn't active like the rest of your friends.

I stared down at my lunch, which was a sandwich. The only part I liked about that sandwich was the tomatoes, but I figured that if I ate it I'd throw up right now.

"Sasuke, what was in it?" Ino said, eating a forkful of salad. I scowled at the blonde girl, picked up my lunch, and threw it away without another thought. Once I sat down again, arms crossed, I knew I was going to get a headache from hunger the rest of the day.

"What was in what?" I acted clueless, even though I knew it wouldn't work. I decided to try and evade her questions for the rest of her lunch, or just go up to the rooftop and relax for the rest of lunch. For some reason, I wanted a taste of adventure (If you could call this 'adventure'), so I stayed down here, in the noisy, non-relaxing lunch room.

"The love letter," Ino growled. She had a short temper. I hate girls like that. No wonder.

"What love letter? I didn't get a love letter," I said, maybe a little too quickly. I wasn't a good actor, unlike Naruto. I just try to keep my cool and do what has to be done. This didn't have to be done. I could've just told her, but this is kind of personal.

"Don't act stupid!" Ino said, leaning across the table and forcing her fork in my face again. I moved back a little, and stared at the fork. Ino was staring right at me. That's the only thing that I envy about her. She can look people in the eye. "Tell me or else!"

"Or else what?" I asked. Everyone says that in action movies and stuff like that. The person who's giving the threat always has to have a good 'or else'.

"Just tell me."

I am so lucky that Ino is dimwitted.

"Never."

"I'll find out soon anyway."

"You do just that."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

Man, why does this argument make me sound like such a girl?

I stood up from the table and left, not wanting any part of this rumor-filled high school. The roof was my destination. We only had forty-five minutes of lunch, and I wasted only ten minutes dealing with Ino and the probes.

So I had thirty-five minutes to spend on the roof. Not bad. If there was more time I would have taken it right away. I climbed up the stairs and opened a door, finally relaxing for the first time since Ino started interrogating me.

You could say that I'm just like a bunch of anti-social anime characters that always lies down and rests on the rooftop of their high school or middle school. All of them had interesting lives. I don't know if my life is up there on the 'interesting' scale.

I think my life is down in the dumps and anyone with a life like this would have bad luck like me.

To sum it up, I'm a fifteen-year old boy who's living alone because my parents died and my older brother left. Ever since the beginning of the school year I had to do this assignment to write to a mysterious person who I feel totally missing without. Added to that, my best friend is supposedly in love with me, and I keep crashing into my older brother. This is all topped with a cherry with the fact that I have to dodge the president of one of my fan clubs and her probes.

Man, what a life.

I jerked up from my resting position when I heard the door creak. I expected to see a fuming Ino, but instead it was a worried looking Naruto. Not a look that fits him, but he looks more mature that way. Oddly mature. "Sasuke, you okay?" His voice was sounded a little scratchy, like he just woke up.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I decided to say. I would say no, but Naruto wasn't acting like himself. So I'm not acting like myself.

Naruto just nodded, and sat down next to me, staring at the clouds for a second. Personally, I didn't like him watching the sky with me. It made me think about what to say to him. Something appropriate to break the silence. I don't want to think about that. I want to think about The Sadistic Smart-Ass and Itachi.

Naruto just happened to not be on my to do list today. Sorry, Naruto.

"I have something to say," Naruto said, in that morning-voice that irritated me in the afternoon.

"What?" I asked, staring at the ground. All I could think of is: _Don't make eye contact! _His blue eyes were trying to stare at my dark brown (black) ones. I used my bangs to cover my eyes a little, just trying to help myself. Naruto is like Ino. He's not afraid to look people in the eye, and so I envy him even more.

"Ummm…you know about the love letter…"

I knew it. Just my luck. I'll just say that I don't like him, I only like him as a friend, and that's that.

But, no. I had to be nice.

"What about it?" My voice sounds so weird to me now. I think body has a mind of its own and I'm just here to watch through its eyes. I turned to face him, trying to stare right back at him.

"Well…I'm sorta the one that wrote it," Naruto said, his sincere blue eyes now too ashamed to look at me. Well, maybe not ashamed. Just embarrassed, like a boy with a crush shouldn't be, really. Everyone's embarrassed.

"Really?" I said, trying to look surprised and not disgusted or anything likes that. I knew it right away when I saw it thought. It as different from Naruto's usually rough handwriting, but there was a similarity.

"And…I was just wondering if you could go out with me," Naruto said, now turning to stare me in the eye. I tried not to blink as a sign of 'What the hell? No way!'.I just stayed quiet for a while, still letting Naruto's request sink in.

Honestly, right now I was thinking, 'What the hell? No way!', but of course I couldn't say no. Not to those sincere blue eyes. Not if he'll disappear again if I say no. I had to let him down nicely, but I had no clue how to do that. Sure, I went on other dates, but that was with people I didn't care about. People that I didn't know at all.

"Uh, sure. I'll go. When and where?" I'm too nice to him. At times like these I sort of wish that our rivalry had lived.

"Okay! Then this coming Saturday night, at six. I'll pick you up, okay?" Naruto was so happy once I said yes. I don't know if the right thing to do is just to be true to my feelings and say no, or to live my life of being together with Naruto just to make him happy.

My life is such a mess.

* * *

_To – You._

_Okay, glad to hear that you're all right and all. Thanks for shortening my name. I personally like it. No, really._

_Glad to see that someone cares that if I die or not. I think a lot of people hold an eternal grudge on me. You're probably thinking 'No, duh'. Yeah. I guess you're right, huh? Hope you got along well with DeiDei-kun, there. He's a bit whack in the head, but he's okay once you get to know him. _

_You think that I was in Konoha? You're right, in a way. I did stop at my old hometown. Can't say what I did. I guess I practically just hung around. Have you noticed that Konoha is quiet during certain times of the day? It's perfect to just lie down and think. The Rain City is just busy 24/7, even though it's much smaller than Konoha. Huh. Weird._

_Your address? Don't need it. It'll just ruin the fun of this, wouldn't it?_

_You got a love letter? Wow. If you really have a fan club, that wouldn't have been your first one, now was it? I'm pretty sure it's from your best friend. Has he been acting weird towards you? Yes. This is what you have to do, basically._

_Say yes to his date. Let him down nicely. If you don't know how to do that, then I don't know what to do with you. _

_No clue about your friend on the phone._

_But still, why where you depressed to call your older brother? I personally think that your older brother has problems. Right._

_That seems just like you. I mean the incident at the library you talked about. He called you cute, huh? Hm. Judging from what I know about you, I'd say that you're cute in my mind, too. Then again, I won't know until I see you. Even though the fan club sort of proves it._

_And just to add more onto this letter:_

_Yes. I think you're unique._

_You're interesting in a way that I can't say. Hahahaha._

_Can't say about who I think you are. I'll leave you thinking about it. I'm still surprised that you haven't figured me out yet. Huh. Guess I think better than you do._

_From, Anonymous_

I frowned at certain parts of the letter. I expected some tips on how to let Naruto down nicely during my date that was just about…five days from now. I'm so nervous that I'm starting a countdown.

Might as well ask, even though he'll be frustrated with me.

_To you, The Sadistic Smart-Ass._

_I don't know anyone who would like being called a smart-ass. That just shows how weird you are, and how much you really are a smart-ass. And sadistic._

_You really are an anti-social freak, aren't you? I have no clue how you got around. I have no clue how you got a fan club. You just get weirder and weirder. You expect me to figure you out if you're just making yourself more of an enigma? Damn. Damn. Damn. _

_I'm sorry if I'm frustrated. I just expected a few answers from that last letter and…disappointment. Yeah, congrats to you. _

_And DeiDei-kun? Who is that guy to you anyway?_

_I need to calm down just a little, then. Yes, Konoha's quiet at times, but usually I'm at school during those times. I bet you cut school to visit Konoha. Did you get yelled at for being tardy, or is your college totally un-strict? _

_If it is, I envy you. My school is strict city. _

_And you'd think that my fan clubs are so undedicated that they'd not even send me one love letter? I have a life, you have a life, and they have a life. And they happen to spend most of their time setting up cameras in my bathroom. Do you have any idea on how uncomfortable that is?_

_Yeah, yeah, just one problem: I don't know how to let someone down nicely. Kind of typical of me, but I've only said a straight 'no' to anyone that asks. Any dances in the past that I went to, I went to with Sakura, since she's a little less odd._

_I think my brother has problems, too. Thanks for clarifying that for the millionth time in my life._

_I'm not cute._

_And what do you mean that I'm interesting to you in a way that you can't mention? You're just really, really…_

_I'll seriously figure you out eventually. I will._

_Oh yeah. I need to consult with you a lot more now. I'll give you my e-mail._

_(1)_

_From, Anonymous. _

I was strangely satisfied with my letter again. Why? Because I'm full of myself. Anyone can be conceited whenever they want to.

* * *

**Naruto Date Countdown: Three Days.**

I was just hanging at home for now. It was only a half day at school (the teachers were having a surprise luncheon for Kakashi. It was his fifth year teaching at the school, and he was considered 'a great addition to the faculty'. I believe that in a way.). I didn't have to go to my part-time job today.

I sat cross-legged on my chair, while nibbling on some Pocky Sticks. You know those sticks with chocolate at the ends of them. The Sadistic Smart-Ass still hadn't replied yet, but I expected his reply today, probably.

I stood up from my position on the computer chair and checked the mail. There it was. I grinned to myself, and opened his letter first, of course.

_To the person who lives at this address._

_Everyone calls me sadistic. Deal with it._

_Ha. Anti-social freak. I'd like to say that to the person who doesn't know how to say no to their best friend when he asks him out on a date. I don't like dealing with frustrated people either, so I have to admit this: The beginning of your letter made me irritated,_

_Thank you for the congratulations on letting you down. Applause, applause. Onto business._

_DeiDei-kun is just a nickname. He's just a 'friend'. Honestly, he's the most annoying person you'll meet in the planet, but, yeah. Friend fits him in an odd way. Just bossy when it comes down to it. Deidara looks a lot like a girl, too. Sometimes acts like one. The only person who I think Deidara really likes is Sasori. Weird._

_I was about to get yelled at. The female principal let me off the hook. Huh. I wonder why._

_They put cameras in your bathroom. I know something a little more disturbing. Something that I call rape, but okay, if you think that's uncomfortable, I agree with you._

_You're cute, end of that conversation._

_Sure. What am I? Your advice column?_

_(1)_

_From, Anonymous_

I nibbled on another chocolate covered stick as I walked over and sat back down. I laid out my paper and typed his e-mail address down in my buddy list, and I immediately spotted him under the 'Online' list.

Sure, so he must be one of the people that live their entire lives on the Internet.

To tell you the truth, I am not an Internet person. I don't like forums – anytime I try going onto them, the people there just shun me like I'm nothing. I don't like Online RPG games. They're irritating and really the only people that you'll meet that actually like you are usually your friends in the real world. I don't like MMORPGs, because they take up too much space on your computer and make your machine a piece of crap. I don't like writing fanfiction (Me: How could you?), because I'm a horrible writer. I don't like playing games on the internet, like on 'Disney Channel' or whatever, because that just seems totally gay. I don't like IMing, and I don't see the point in it, because it's practically just the same as talking to the person in real life. I don't like making MySpaces or anything because I am one of the people that believe that rapists are on those sites, and that I'm just horrible at HTML and stuff like that. To sum it all up, I don't like more than half of the things on the Internet. The only part that I really like is e-mail, except for spam. Spam is just annoying.

And thus, the Internet is the most conveniently dangerous place.

I was about to click on him and start out, but he got there before me.

Since I'm too irritated to keep saying our screen names I'll just put Me and Him down. And I really don't care about the spelling mistakes that we make everything that will be IMed now and in the future will be in unusually correct spelling and grammar.

**Him: **Okay, okay, What do you what from me?

**Me: **I said I need help with Naruto.

Another IM came up. From Naruto. Damn.

**Naruto: **Sasuke, what's up?

Frowns. I don't know what to say now. I decided to stall and talk to Sadistic Smart-Ass instead.

**Me: **Naruto's IMing me. What should I do?

**Him: **Desperate, now are we?

**Me: **Just tell me what I have to do.

**Him: **Tell him you're busy. It's true, and it doesn't hurt anyone's feelings.

**Me: **Fine.

I opened up Naruto's IM, feeling a little impatient. Not with the Smart-Ass or Naruto. With myself. I had such a fucked up life.

**Me: **Naruto, I'm busy!!!

**Naruto: **Okay, talk to you later.

Naruto signed off after that. I wonder if I upset him.

Another bad thing about IM. You never really know how a person really feels. You can't look into their eyes, watch their body language, or listen to how their talking. You never know. Someone could be lying to you right now, and you'll never know.

The paragraph above is a warning to all you people who live their lives IMing. _(2)_

I got back to the smart-ass over there.

**Me: **Great, now talk.

**Him: **Tell him that you only want to be friends.

**Me: **When?

**Him: **After your date. Like, when he's taking you home or something. Really, the best thing to do is go with your gut instincts here, but that part is especially important for a reason. Just so that you two won't break your friendship.

**Me: **What should I do during the date though?

**Him: **You're really like a girl, aren't you? Act natural, like yourself. Don't hurt his feelings during the date either.

**Me: **Fine, but you weren't really descriptive.

**Him: **What do you think you're going to do on your date, anyway?

**Me: **Um, he told me that we'd go catch a movie and dinner.

**Him: **Did he specify what movie and what restaurant?

**Me: **No.

**Him: **If he asks you just be truthful. If he's already got it planned out and you like it, good for you. If he's already got it planned out and you hate it, deal with it and act like you like it.

**Me: **What if he makes a move on me during the date?

**Him:** We're talking about the guy who missed school supposedly because of you. He must be a nervous wreck – worse than you. Trust me. Unless he's going to be really determined to really make a move, then you have to worry. If he does, either go along with it or say that you're just not ready yet. He'll learn by the end of it all.

**Me: **Okay, fine. Thanks. I have to go right now, anyway. 'Bye.

**Him: **Sure, sure.

I signed off and turned the computer off. The date was going to be awkward, that was a given. But I still had no clue what the spontaneous idiot of a blonde that was supposed to be my best friend was planning.

At least I had an idea of what I'm supposed to do.

* * *

**Naruto Date Countdown: Zero Days. Two Minutes.**

I'm not supposed to be nervous because I like him. I'm nervous because…I'm nervous.

It was a casual date. Just plain old casual. My hair was in its usual, (odd?) state. I just wore a blue, short sleeved button up shirt with a white one under it. And just plain old jeans. I just sat down on an armchair and stared out the window. Door bell rang with that uncomfortably usual noise of _ding dong._

I opened the door, and smiled with saying, "Hey." Naruto's blonde hair was the same as usual, but he didn't wear a band around his forehead covering his bangs. I thought that he looked handsome that way, but… yeah, that's just weird. Naruto wore long jeans and an orange T-shirt with a long sleeved shirt under it. The blonde had a habit of always wearing long-sleeved clothes. I prefer short sleeves. You feel a lot freer.

We were still only fifteen, so there's no driver's license yet. We don't live in Alaska. But still, everyone knew their way around Konoha. The theatre was just a few blocks away from my apartment, anyway.

"So, what movie do you want to see?" Naruto asked once we got near the theatre. If you want to know what happened before that, we just talked as if we were best friends. I mean geez, if Naruto really expects me to treat him more than best friends; he's a little too much on the wrong side.

I just smiled at him and said, anything.

* * *

Looking back at that 'date' I wouldn't even call it a 'date'. I didn't feel like one. It just felt like a 'watch-a-movie-and-eat-dinner-get-together'. I guess Naruto was nervous, too. He didn't know what to talk about, so we just…talked. 

He was walking me home, and it was just about nine o'clock. It wasn't too late and it wasn't too early. I always come home at nine, anyway. Other kids want ten o'clock or eleven, but I'm perfectly fine with just plain old nine.

Once we got to my apartment door, Naruto opened his mouth to say something. I knew that he was going to ask me out again, so I told him something instead. "Look, Naruto, I don't think of you that way."

"Huh?"

"I just want to be friends. Really, don't take this the wrong way."

Naruto blinked for a moment, his idiotic mind still drinking in what I said. I knew it was a bit too forward, but forward was a little bit more of my thing. Subtlety is for wimps, and I didn't want to be on the wimpy side at all.

"Okay," Naruto said. He didn't take it the wrong way at all. Relief was the only word that could describe that moment. "Well, then, see you at school, then, Sasuke."

"Ah, sure!" I said. It was too forward. I think he was upset. I just had to live with the fact that I told the truth and did what I could.

He's not the one I love.

* * *

Okay, crappy chapter, let's move on in life. 

I realized I've been making Sasuke too harsh. He's calling Ita-kun a nerd, so I changed it back to Smart-Ass. Sorry to you all for making Ita-kun's nickname so harsh!

1 – Okay, apparently, is being a little mean to me and not letting upload fake e-mail addresses. Oh well. Use your imagination, people.

2 – I'm just venting out something that happened in school with the IMing things. My class is like the class that has all the rumors in it, all thanks to IM. I'm not part of that crowd, but my friends are. Sorry if I annoyed you by forcing Sasuke to rant about IMing.

Sasuke says that he's sorry for giving into someone like me.

Happy Belated Birthday Naruto! Sorry I couldn't write a fic to you!


	7. I met him

Wows. Thanks for the reviews! This fanfiction is as much as an escape for me, too! And sorry again for the slow updates. I'm usually going to get these up at least on Thursdays or weekends. Damn, school gets in the way so much. I think that this chapter will be a little shorter than usual. Not sure. A little more 'drama'. I'm not sure. I don't think I'm a good drama writer.

**Chapter Seven: **I met him.

My brother used to have to go to a therapist. He needed it. He was in a way depressed at school, even though he passed with flying colors. The only way you'd really get him to talk if you provoked him or something like that.

Still, the therapist things never really worked. Mom was worried about him a lot. Dad seemed to only care about his grades. Shisui was the only one (other than me, sometimes) that Itachi really talked to. But whenever I ask my cousin what Itachi told him he'd say that it's a secret.

All I really wanted back then was to be close to my brother.

* * *

Naruto was the same as before he disappeared for the first time. I think that everything's all good now, that I don't have to worry about my friend anymore. It was safe for now, I assured myself. Naruto told me that he wouldn't disappear again. He promised. I'm glad that the blonde always keeps his promises.

The Sadistic Smart-Ass told me that he was going to be busy for a few days. I was okay with that. As long as he told me that he was going, and that he'd come back, everything would be fine.

Kakashi announced that he's going to assign another report about our 'pen pal' pretty soon. (I didn't say that word in the last chapter and I wish that I wouldn't need to use those two words any more.)

The class groaned, Kakashi yelled at them, gave some detention, and gave us our assignment.

After class, I approached my sensei and asked him about my older brother. Like, is he doing okay and stuff like that. I was trying to lead the conversation to the right direction. I needed to know what they were talking about in the library.

"And what were you talking about?" I asked, after a long stream of questions. I wanted Kakashi to answer. I crossed my fingers in my pocket, hoping that he was caught off guard.

"Oh, we were talking about you and-" Kakashi paused, staring at me.

"And?"

"Nothing. I said nothing."

It's too hard to try to trick your English teacher. Especially if he's Kakashi.

I sighed in disappointment, muttered, 'Don't worry about it' and left the room. Naruto was waiting for me, and he asked me what I was talking about. "Nothing. We said nothing." I'm turning into my English teacher.

Naruto shrugged, and we just started talking about part-time jobs. Just the subject I needed. I had about an hour before I had to go to that perverted restaurant. Don't ask me why I didn't quit yet. I wish I did.

Naruto is just so happy about his part-time job at Ichiraku's Ramen. I'd work there any day, but the pay wasn't so good. Naruto just liked it because he got a big discount for ramen there. Discounts weren't a big bonus for me. I cook my own food, because I don't want to waste money on the all expensive restaurants here at Konoha.

The place where I work is like a normal restaurant. It's basically a seafood restaurant, but perverts still come there and irritate me of all people. I find nothing good about me that perverts would like, and I think that's a good thing. All of the workers there are about my age, too. There's about six of them. Tayuya, a bad mouthed girl, Jiroubou, a fat ass, Sakon and Ukon, two creepy twins, Kidoumaru, this spider-crazy guy, and Kimimaro, this kid who coughs up blood and knows every single bone in your body. And I mean he talks about them. Your bones. It's just weird.

Tayuya's pretty much plain old cruel to me. Jiroubou ignores me. Sakon and Ukon just make snide comments about me behind my back. Kidoumaru keeps putting spiders on me. Kimimaro's the only person that I can relate to. He's better than the rest of them.

"You must have it tough in there," Naruto said. "Everyone that works at Ichiraku's is real nice."

_That's because you're a lucky kid._

I never told him about the perverts in there. There's pervert number one: Orochimaru. He nearly raped me, but I escaped. Barely. The Smart-ass knows him, too. He said that Orochimaru came after him once, too. I think we have too much in common, but that's not what I'm talking about. There's pervert number two: Jiraiya. He's not as bad as Orochimaru, but he does try to touch you in places that he shouldn't at times. Pervert number three: Ebisu. He's more of a closet pervert, but I think that he put a camera on me once. Not sure. I know he's one of them, though.

There's more, but those three are the only ones that I really know.

But still, if I told him about the perverts I'd think Naruto would march in, try to stop them, and then get himself raped or something. Reckless blonde.

"Okay, I have to stop here," Naruto said, walking away from me and to the stand that was Ichiraku's. He waved to me with a big smile. I forced one on, too, though I dreaded the thought of the perverts that were going to wait for me today.

I ran the rest of the way. Naruto made me late, but I didn't want to tell him that. I think I'm being to nice, but whatever, who cares right now. I was so going to get yelled at. I ran in at the right time, muttered a hello to Kimimaro when I passed him, got changed in the bathroom (I don't want to wear what they want me to wear out side of the restaurant) and got started immediately. Jiraiya and Ebisu were sitting near a window, talking to each other rather loudly. Orochimaru sat by his own lonesome, giving me the 'eye', though. There was a noisy group out in the back, and I happened to be serving them. I approached the group, putting on a fake smile.

"Deidara, you're too loud!" the red head said.

_Huh? _

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, hmm," a blonde said, playing with a strand of his (His?) long hair. It was Deidara, I could tell. He said that 'hmm' at the end of his sentence, he looked like a girl, as the Sadistic Smart-Ass told me, and he was too loud. Just as I imagined.

"Get off of me," the red head repeated.

"Whatever, Sasori, hmm," Deidara had a big grin on his face, something that reminded me a bit of Naruto.

The guy named Sasori pushed Deidara off. "Why me? Get on Itachi instead, darn it!"

_Oh, god, no._

It was someone else named Itachi. Who just happened to also have a friend named Deidara who looked like a girl and said 'hmm' at the end of his sentences. I took a quick glance at the young adult that was supposedly named Itachi. There he was, his long hair tied back, his beautiful eyes staring at me intently. He had a smirk on his face.

Wait, was he really staring at _me? _

Of course. He was the one who hung up on me after calling me by my old nickname. He was the one who called me cute when I encountered in at the library.

Speaking of, what the hell was so cute about me anyway? I'm too old to be cute. My fourth grade teacher said that now that you're in fourth grade you're no longer cute. Then again, he never specified how I was cute. It was either little-kid cute, or sort-of-hot cute.

I stood here thinking until I realized that I was the one who was supposed to be serving them. I blushed slightly as I approached the noisy group.

_Act like a waiter should act. Say what a waiter should say. _

_If he asks if I'm Uchiha Sasuke I'll just say that I'm Uchida Sasuke. Ha. That'd work._

"Hi, my name's Sasuke, I'll be your waiter tonight," I said with that waiter-smile. I suck at acting, you should know that. I knew that Itachi's smirk just grew a bit wider. Is that the only way that guy can smile? "Can I start you off with some drinks?"

I just noticed that there were a lot of other people sitting around the table. There was Itachi, Deidara, and the red-head Sasori.

Sitting next to Itachi was a blue haired (I don't think he dyed it that way) tall man with shark-like teeth that he seemed to enjoy displaying.

There was a guy with silver hair that was gelled (Is that a word? I mean hair gel, if you didn't know) back. He smelled like incense. Obviously he was religious.

The guy sitting across from the incense-smelling dude smelled, too. Of money. The obvious smell of the green paper I call dollar. He just looks really weird. All I can say.

Next to guy whose favorite thing probably is money, was a man with green hair (Is that seriously his natural hair color?). And I really think he has a green thumb. He was staring intensely at a plant that was sitting in the corner.

Then there was a scary-looking guy. He had a lot of piercing, and he had spiky hair similar to Naruto. He had the same kind of hard stare as Itachi, whose eyes are still glued onto me.

The only girl in the group was last. She was gothic looking, and she had blue hair too. There was a flower nestled in that hair. She looked a little gothic in my opinion, but…yeah, she's gothic. I have to feel sorry for her. The only girl in the group. Though I bet she fits in perfectly.

Does my older brother really hang out with such weirdoes?

"Okay, your drinks will be coming in a few moments," my cheery waiter self said after they set down many random orders. I think someone ordered a kid's slush. Weird.

I was glad to get away from that group for a while. I was lucky that Kimimaro was serving Orochimaru and Kidoumaru was serving Jiraiya and Ebisu. The rest of the people were being taken care of by the rest of the waiters/waitress.

I got some of the other customers in my small area taken care of. I got the drinks after a short while, which I considered to be too short, and brought it to them, putting back on my waiter happiness. After I set down all of their drinks I asked if what they wanted to order.

More random orders. Did someone just order from the kid's menu? Itachi stayed silent the entire time. Apparently he wasn't going to eat anything. Not a surprise. He never ate much at home, anyway. If he ate, it was if no one was around.

And yet he somehow kept his body so fit. He's really athletic.

I barely stopped myself from ranting again.

* * *

He cornered me. He asked all of his friends to go on a head. Then he cornered me. I kept saying to him that I had work to do, but Kimimaro yelled at me that I was already off of my shift. My shift was always short on Mondays.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked, trying to sound firm. I tried to sound like I didn't want him back. I tried to sound strong. I know that I'm not strong, though. I know that I want him back.

I just acted because of my pride.

I saw his eyes narrow slightly. I envied his eyes. Even though they were supposed to belong to a female, he had them instead. And he deserved them. He forces you to look into his eyes. And you do. Just because.

When he still didn't answer my question, "Why did you hang up on me? Why did you call me cute in the library?" I asked, leaning against the wall. Technically, he cornered me, so I was stuck against the wall. I just leaned to make myself look better. I didn't want to look weak. No one does.

"I hung up on you because you didn't. You called the wrong number, didn't you?" He said. I looked down. I didn't want him to see me blush. But, like I said, he forces you to look into his eyes. Itachi grabbed my chin and pulled my face up, forcing me to look into his eyes. He hasn't changed. He gets what he wants because he wants it. That doesn't make sense at all, but it's true.

But now, he can see my cheeks reddening of embarrassment. That's the last thing that I want him to see. I wanted to push him off, but my hands were too numb to do anything. I just let him do whatever he wants to me.

"And I called you cute in the library because it was true."

He has good answers. Answers that don't give me any answers. That's what he wants. And he gets what he wants because he wants it. Wow. This guy has it lucky. Like Naruto.

"I still don't get it. Why come back to see Kakashi and not me?" I asked, praying that I won't start to cry. I always cry when it comes to my brother. It's hard to admit, but it's true. And the truth hurts. I've always felt different when he's around. Different then what I was feeling when he wasn't around.

He just busted my happy bubble today.

"What? You jealous?"

"I'm your little brother!"

"Hn. Kakashi's an old friend."

"What happened to family first?"

"What happened to 'I hate you'?"

"I…" It was bit my lip. He really did leave because I got an F on my test? Or is it just because I told him that I hated him? I think it's the second one. Maybe both. I stayed silent. I wanted to tell him that I'm sorry, and that I meant to apologize to him in the morning, but my mouth went all dry. I needed a drink of either ice cold water or hot tea.

"Tell me, do you really want me back?" His voice was taunting. Mocking. He was toying with me again. I could feel his breath against my ear. People were staring at us as they passed by, but he didn't care obviously. I would've cared, but right now wasn't the time.

Itachi moved his hand to my cheek. His hand was cold, yet somewhat gentle. Not what I expected. Maybe it was just gentle because it was soft and he has perfect skin. Whatever.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. I wanted to say yes. I needed to say yes. "Aniki…I, um…" I really needed something to rant about right now. I needed to keep him here – to stall, without answering. Usually I start ranting without thinking twice, but this situation made ranting hard.

"Answer me," He whispered. His voice tickled me a little, and I bit my lip harder. My hands were in tight fists. Breathing became a little hard for me all of a sudden. He was so close to me. Too close for comfort. There were more people staring at us.

I stayed silent because my mouth was too dry to say anything else. I was too scared. I didn't know if he wanted to come back or not. I didn't want to say anything that would disappoint him. So I just stayed silent. I thought that he was going to attack me, so I closed my eyes bracing myself for whatever was going to come.

I felt his cold breath leave my ear. _Is he going away?_ His hand lifted my chin again. _Apparently not._ He was close again, I could feel it. I lifted my hands, and tried to push him away.

In the end, I gave up, because he was kissing me. I was surprised. I wanted to really push him off, to whack him in the head and scream, "That's wrong!". My eyes stayed shut.

This wasn't my first kiss. Like I said, he stole my first kiss the day before my parents died. Sure, I kissed a few girls now and then, but that's it. Once, by accident with Naruto, too. But I wouldn't say that that would count.

For some reason this felt a little different. I was still surprised that my older brother was making out with me. I was surprised that I let him.

He wasn't rough at all, actually. Since I didn't react at all, he used his thumb to lower my jaw, and granted himself entrance. Then I reacted. Not in a bad way, though. I just went along with it, wrapping my arms around his neck with a little difficulty. I need to get used to the fact that he was a little taller than I imagined. When I started getting really into it, he pulled away. I was a little disappointed, yet a little relieved. I gasped for air for a while, resting my head against his chest.

"What did you do that for?" I asked once I caught my breath.

"What? Did you enjoy it?"

"Answer my question, first."

"…"

I realized that we were out in a public restaurant and people were bound to stare. My face turned completely red. I didn't want anyone to see so I buried my face in his chest as if I was a scared little kid. And I'll admit it. I am a scared little kid.

"Will you stay now?"

"No."

"Why?"

"I've got to go."

"Huh?"

And he was gone.

* * *

Smart-Ass said that he still wanted to keep sending letters to me. Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. At least I get to rant about what happened today.

I was about to turn on my computer and e-mail him about it, but my computer hated me today so I wrote to him instead.

_To the Sadistic Smart-Ass_

_I'm having a bad day. You must be asking why. I had a good day yesterday. And Naruto did act normal today. But it's got nothing to do with that._

_I met him. My older brother._

_I asked him why he hung up on me. He just said something, I don't remember, but it didn't give me any answers. Then I asked him why he called me cute. His answer was, 'Because it's true'. Geez. _

_But he kissed me. No more comments on that one. He left after that, though._

_I've got nothing more to say, mainly because I'm still dumbstruck. Totally dumbstruck. Sorry. Reply, tell me something that'll comfort me, maybe I'll feel better. That's optional, of course._

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S.: My brother knows Deidara. What's up with that?_

It was short, but the topic was awkward. Very awkward.

* * *

A few days later, we started Driver's Ed…Ugh. Just a side note. Back to reality, even though driving is a part of reality. Ugh.

And the Smart-Ass wrote me back.

_To – Whomever it concerns. _

_That's hilarious._

_Seriously. I'm not putting exclamation points because that just makes me sound dorky._

_He doesn't want to give you answers. Give him a reason to. And like I said, your brother's got problems. Since you said, 'No more comments on that one' I think you either hated the kiss, or you enjoyed it completely. Yeah, I think you enjoyed it, since your brother seems to be one of your favorite topics._

_Hmm. If it's optional, then maybe I won't do it. I've really got nothing to say, either. It's just hilarious. You get yourself into weird situations that cause your brother to kiss you. It's just priceless. Don't do anything reckless again, okay? _

_Don't get yourself into trouble._

_And about Deidara, everyone on campus knows that guy. The guy that nearly blew up the entire art section of campus when the teacher asked him what he thought art was. _

_Art is a bang! _

_Explosives are his specialty. He goes to art class instead of military school._

_From, Anonymous_

I smiled at the last part. I think he saved that last part to make me smile, I don't know. But I was happy that I could tell Smart-Ass this, too. And that he didn't totally laugh at me, even though he thought it was hilarious.

Still, I don't think I'll see my brother again for a while.

* * *

Okay, thank you all for your reviews and support! Review again now, please! This chapter isn't so long after all. Oh well. Dramatic chapter. Bringing in the ItaSasu a little.

Most of the ItaSasu will be in the last chapter. There might be fifteen, I don't know. Fifteen, fourteen, whatever. Thanks for reading and enjoy next chapter!


	8. Birthday

I'm so happy! Thank you all for your reviews! Every single one of them is well-appreciated! We're just about half-way done with the entire series.

Sorry about the slow update. I was trying to beat a video game. I got a jolt of happiness and inspiration after I beat it! Yay!

Sasuke is so stupid in this chapter. Hahahahahaha.

**Chapter Eight: Birthday**

My brother never celebrates his birthdays. He might've before I was born, but he was always too busy on his birthdays. I never understood why. One time I asked him, when I was still very young, he just replied that he doesn't like celebrating his birth.

I didn't understand that back then. Now I do.

* * *

I woke up one morning and looked at the calendar. It was June 9th, my older brother's birthday. It didn't really matter. My last encounter with him was already a month ago, and things had already calmed down.

Basically, Naruto was acting normal, and I was getting closer to that smart-ass. My worries about my older brother were unimportant.

I grabbed my stuff and ran out the door, grabbed a muffin from the bakery, and went to school. Naruto met up with me along the way, blabbing about his dog who had tapeworm, and his police father who had a wild goose chase trying to catch a robber. His life is so exciting. Maybe one of the perks of having good luck. He was talking way too fast so I just nodded along.

His voice took a little more serious tone when he said, "So, how're you doing with your pen pal?"

I didn't want to tell him that we were really close. I just shrugged and said, "We're doing fine." I think that Naruto knew that I was lying. I think he just tried to keep his cool around me.

What was wrong with 'doing fine', anyway?

* * *

**Lunch Topic: **The Letters, take three.

Everyone was actually getting along well with their friends at that college. Some girls were getting confident enough to say that they were close enough to go out. If I were to even consider that, I'd say that smart-ass and I are close enough to go out, too. Surprising.

Maybe I do consider that.

And maybe I don't.

Naruto was talking about how his friend was an expert at explosives and art. I smiled to myself. I knew that already. I knew that a long time ago.

Sakura was talking about how her friend was going to be a totally hot guy. I bit my lip to hide the laughter. The smart-ass made it clear that a girl in my class would be totally disappointed when she meets the guy who says he's 'hot'. Because he's not.

Ino was talking about the fact that her friend liked plants. He had a green thumb. That was sort of lucky for her, because her parents do own a flower shop. They must get along.

But then I remembered the group that I saw my older brother with at the restaurant. I know that Deidara's with Naruto already, and the person that Sakura's talking about seemed to fit the shark-like guy perfectly. The green-haired man fit Ino's description.

I think that it's just coincidence.

It just made me think though. Who in this school got Itachi? I felt that I needed to find out, but I calmed myself. I didn't need to think about him.

* * *

Kakashi wasn't here today. I wonder why. We didn't have him in the morning, but he was always late, but never absent. Why would he be absent now? Is it just to make a change to my now perfectly normal life?

* * *

I dropped my backpack and walked to the computer immediately. I've been glued to that thing ever since I got that smart-ass's e-mail address. Now I've become one of those people that go on the computer 24/7, but it didn't matter to me. All I really did on it was school work. And IMing that smart-ass.

I received an e-mail from him. It was from this morning.

**Subject: **_(No subject)_

_I'm just going to tell you that today, June 9__th__, is my birthday. Yeah, yeah, you don't care. Just mentioning. I'm about 22, now. Almost out of college. _

_Huh. Well, that's it._

His birthday was the same as my brother's. I shrugged. People had the same birthdates, no big deal. I just hit the reply button and started typing.

**Subject: **_(No subject)_

_Geez. Waste an e-mail on telling me it's your birthday. It's funny, because today's my older brother's birthday. Coincidence. He hates his birthday, too._

_Happy Birthday!_

I clicked send and stopped and thought. They had too much in common. My brother and the smart-ass. A lot in common. It was suspicious. I decided not to think about it.

The smart-ass just logged in right after I sent the letter. He just knows when to pop in, huh?

**Me: **Hey.

**Him: **This is getting irritating. IMing you and all. Here's my phone number: 555-988-9189

**Me: **Oh. Okay.

I grabbed the phone. The receiver was stuck again. It was always stuck, and I had no clue why. I tried to get it unstuck with my fingers, but eventually I just banged the side of the phone with frustration. It finally went loose.

I dialed his number down. He was lucky. He got a number that was easy to memorize. People don't memorize phone numbers these days, because of speed dial and all that, but my phone number had random numbers that didn't seem to have a pattern at all. So it was hard to memorize.

And of course you have to know your own home and cell phone number.

There were only about two rings when he picked up. I was a little confused over the fact that he didn't pick up immediately. "Hello?" His voice sounded strangely familiar. But I couldn't tell for sure. You know how phones totally fuck up your voice. Once Naruto said that I sounded like a girl over the phone. I think that Sakura sounds like a boy over the phone.

I also think that the phone company is doing this to our voices on purpose.

"Um, you asked me to call?"

"Hn."

"Did I call at the wrong time?"

"…Wait a sec." I waited. I heard some yelling in the background. Something like: _"Deidara, don't you dare blow that TV up!"_

And then a voice that seemed to belong to Deidara yelled, _"But I have to do an art project, yeah!"_

"_Blow your own head up!"_ I knew that that was the smart-ass's voice. "Sorry about that," He returned to me, his voice becoming a little less strained.

"No problem," I grinned. "Happy birthday!"

"Yeah, yeah, thanks."

More yelling in the background. _"Sasori-danna!!!"_

"_Shut up! Your explosives aren't art!"_

"_Yeah they are! Art is a bang! Yeah!"_

"_Art is an eternal beauty! Not a bang! Go away; I have to write an essay."_

"_BANG!"_

"_ETERNAL!"_

I laughed a little. I heard another 'Hn.' from the smart-ass. "You have to deal with this all day?" I asked. Yeah. I felt sorry for him alright. It'd be like being locked in the same room as Naruto and Kiba. Constant arguing. Get along.

"Yeah, I'm sort of used to it, now," he muttered.

"Sorry I can't give you anything for your birthday," I said truthfully.

"No, that's fine. Can I just ask you…twenty questions? You have to answer them. That's your present for me, okay?" I pictured a smirk. I knew he was smirking.

"What for?" I knew that this phone call would be long, but it couldn't be helped. I sat down on the couch, bringing the phone to my other ear.

"Just for fun."

"Okay…"

"How many friends do you have?"

"Erm…eleven, basically," I answered. "I know that it's not much, but I think people think that I'm weird."

"Sure, sure," he said indifferently. "How many friends do you really trust?"

There was Naruto. I don't really trust the rest. Occasionally the shy Hyuuga, Hinata, but she's a bit…too shy. So basically Naruto, yeah. "Just one."

"Naruto."

"Yeah," I said, still wondering why he was asking me these questions. "When my birthday comes I'm going to ask you questions, okay?"

"Okay, fine, whatever," he murmured. "This'll be nice. How many crushes have you had, and do you have one right now?"

"Ugh, why are you interested?"

"Because I think that your answers would be amusing."

"You really are sadistic. I never really had a crush…Just…Just one, and I still have it now. And no, I'm not telling you who it is," I said, remembering my encounter with my older brother that happened about a month ago. I was blushing. I'm glad that he couldn't see me right now.

"I don't need to know who it is," the smart-ass said, I think half-laughing. I couldn't tell. I was still remembering. "On to the next question…If someone dared you to walk on the beach in a Speedo, would you do it?"

"Why?"

"I want to know if you're the daring or not," he answered simply.

"No. I wouldn't."

"Huh. Okay. How many times have you been kissed?"

"You are getting on my nerves."

"You owe me a birthday present. There's still fifteen to go. I'm keeping count."

"Fine. A lot of times." I answered simply. I personally thought the conversation was going a bit too far. But I couldn't wait for payback on my birthday.

"Okay, well then…just for the heck of it, are you a virgin?"

I yelled 'Argh!' into the phone. I heard the smart-ass laugh a little. "Of course I am! I'm only fifteen!"

"I said just for the heck of it…you take such an innocent thing like this too seriously." He was laughing. I heard a few incomprehensible things in the background, but I was too focused on this.

"You make such an innocent thing like this serious," I backfired, relaxing back onto the couch. I stood up when I yelled 'Argh!'

"Whatever will be, will be," he said nonchalantly. "Thirteen left. Okay, did you ever consider getting married?"

"No," I answered immediately. "I don't think marriage is a reasonable path that I should take. It's the truth."

"Hn. You've got a weird personality."

"So do you."

"On to the next question!"

"Argh. You enjoy this don't you?"

"Of course. Let's see…Are you gay, straight, or bisexual?"

"…"

"Answer," he said, amused. "It's not that hard of a question. I personally don't care." I knew what the answer was. I just remembered what my brother did to me when I met him a month ago.

"I'll just say bisexual," I just muttered. "This conversation is really, really uncomfortable."

"Deal with it. You already know I'm a sadist. I'm just proving it to you. There's only eleven left. What kind of attributes would your soul mate have?"

"Um…"

"I'll let you think for a moment."

I heard voices in the background. It distracted my thinking, because one of the voices sounded very familiar.

"_Kakashi's here, yeah!"_

The smart-ass spoke. _"Okay, okay, fine."_ He turned back to me. "Sorry about that. I've got to go."

"Uh, okay."

"Don't think that you're escaping my interrogating."

"Interrogating?" This guy really is a sadist.

"I'm just calling it that. Ja ne." He hung up.

I slowly put the phone down, and then decided to take a walk. I found myself back at the park, and this time there were less adults staring at me like I was a gangster who cuts class. It was after school. They had no reason to stare.

I thought hard about his question. Really, what kind of attributes would my soul mate have? I immediately thought about my brother, but I decided to pretend that he wasn't in my life right now.

I already decided that I wouldn't go out with someone if they were extremely ugly. That was a given. But they didn't have to be extremely hot, too. Just a little above average. Was that too much to ask?

Oh well. I don't think that he was talking about the looks part, anyway. The personality part. The part that completely stumps me, because I don't think that a guy like me is supposed to have a soul mate.

Everyone says that there's one person who's meant to be with you. But what if you meet a person who you think you're meant to be with, and then it doesn't turn out so well? Then everyone says to you that there is plenty of other fish in the sea. Which saying is true?

I thought hard. I tried pairing myself up with random people that I knew. I even tried Deidara. My thoughts raced back to my brother. Nope. Don't think of him. No guy like that exists in Sasuke's World.

Then I decided to pretend that I don't know anyone in the world. He asked for attributes.

I don't know.

Just someone I can relate to.

I always thought I could relate to that smart-ass.

But do I actually consider him as my soul mate?

I immediately said 'No' out loud.

But I thought _'Yes.'_

I groaned and plopped down on a bench, making the little kids playing around me scram immediately. Good riddance. I need quiet right now.

I always pictured myself with a person who's probably a little kinder. I always thought I'd end up with someone who's also lonely, like I am. Someone who knows the pain of being alone.

Does the smart-ass know how it feels to be alone? He's definitely not kinder than I am. I'm basically only kind to those that I'm close to.

He is _sort of _nice to me. I don't really know.

I just have to answer this question. Once I do, everything will be clear, and set out in front of me.

Do I love him or not?

* * *

"Only eleven questions left, okay?" I called him again for the 'interrogating'. Before I called him up I was praying that he would ask me less uncomfortable questions.

"What kind of attributes would your soul mate have?" He repeated. "Just answer."

"I don't really know," I confessed. "Um, basically someone that I can relate to. Someone that's easy to talk to, who can listen and understand. I guess that's just about it."

"Did you know that you can learn a lot about someone once you learn what kind of person they're looking for?"

"This counts as a question."

"You're no fair," he murmured.

"Yes. I just never thought about it until now," I answered. "What is it, ten more? Keep on asking, then."

"Name one person in your life that is the closest to being your soul mate?"

A question that stumped me. The answer is Naruto, since he's been a little lonely because his parent's are out at work most of the time. He's easy to talk to, too. I don't know much about my older brother. So I don't know about him.

I just answered. "Naruto, I guess."

"Nine more. Do you think you'll find your soul mate?"

"It depends if I actually have one or not," I muttered. "No, not really. Maybe by pure luck, but I tend to be on the bad luck side, if you haven't noticed."

"Right. Since you never told me, when's your birthday?"

"July. July 23rd," I answered. "I get to 'interrogate' you on my birthday, okay?"

"Fine. Eight left. What do you do in your spare time?"

I began to wonder if he wrote a bunch of questions like these down. Was he really that interested in me, or was he just interested in hearing me suffer? Then again, some of the questions were totally harmless.

"Um, read, take a walk, talk to someone people on the phone, sleep, or just sit there and stare at something while thinking." This was a harmless question.

"What do you usually think about?"

This was a harmful question. I think about odd things. It's the best thing to think about if you lead an odd life.

But I really don't think that I 'lead' this life at all.

"I don't know. It changes a lot." I thought for a moment, and then added on. "It's usually about Naruto, my older brother, or you. But when I really think about it, I'm just ranting to myself in my head."

"So you mainly rant in your head and keep quiet on the outside?"

"This counts as a question."

"Oh, well."

"Yeah."

"I think there's five left. Tell me if I'm wrong. Okay, what do you think of your older brother? You can skip this one if you want to."

"Pass."

"That one doesn't count then. When the topic of 'girlfriends and boyfriends' come up when you're talking to your friends, would you get out of the conversation or would you stay and listen?"

"It depends. Usually I'd get out, but sometimes, when I've got nothing better to do, I'll just stay silent and listen in," I explained. "It's not my favorite subject."

"I can tell," he said. "Well, then… how are you with secrets?"

"…If I told you, then I'd have to kill you."

"Okay, then. Three left. When you read the first letter I sent to you, what was your first impression of me?"

"Wow, that seems like such a long time ago," I said when he mentioned it. "Um, I suppose that I thought you were a total bastard and a smart-ass. And I still think that you're a bastard and a smart-ass. Just a little less on the bastard part."

"Okay, then. Two more…I wonder…What's your definition of the word 'love'?"

I fidgeted slightly in my seat. He was bound to ask me that question eventually. "Um…" I started. "Well, I don't really know. I guess no one knows. Um, I think it's like that feeling that you want to protect somebody. To care about deeply…I don't know. I'm not the right person to ask."

"Huh. I like your perspective on that."

"Seriously?"

"If you were to ask me that I'd seriously just pick up a dictionary and find the most plausible answer."

"You're like those scientists who are trying to find out why people love."

"I personally think that there has to be a logical reason for everything."

"You're a smart-ass."

"I thought we cleared that up a moment ago. Last question. Just because I'm curious. What do you think about me?"

That caught me off guard. "I'm going to ask you the same thing on my birthday. Deal?"

"Fine, whatever."

"Like I said, you're a smart-ass and a bastard. You have a weird sense of humor, and you really like to make me feel uncomfortable. But you understand me, and you at least try to make me feel better…I think. Maybe just easy to talk to. I can just relate to you, that's all."

"Oh, God," he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said rather quickly.

"Okay."

"I've got to go. Ja ne." He hung up. I think he was in a rush to go. But he sounded a little surprised.

Then I just realized. When I told him what I thought about him, the attributes were nearly the same as when I described what I thought my soul mate would be. I felt my heart skip a beat for a moment, and I banged my head against the wall.

Okay, I'll admit it.

I love that smart-ass.

* * *

Okay. Nice chapter. Sasuke is a moron. He still didn't figure it out yet, and this chapter is full of answers for him. Sasuke, you moron!

Again, sorry for the slow update. I decided to replay another RPG out of boredom, and I realized that my sister wasn't hogging the computer, but I had to go to sleep early because I had to wake up early the next day. Ugh.


	9. Dance

Okay, everyone, sorry for making poor Sasu-chan here a moron. You'll learn more about that later. Sorry for the slow updates! I'm so glad that all of you actually read this, though. I never considered myself a good writer.

And extra, extra sorry for the update made by a molasses writer like me! I couldn't touch the computer for a long time, and my schedule is so busy!!! SO SORRY!

This one will be a little weird. I think it's weird. Yeah.

**Chapter Nine: Dance**

My brother never was good with dates. He turned down all of the girls that asked him. And trust me that was a lot of girls. So whenever a school dance would come up, he'd skip out and spend the entire day with me.

So I used to be happy when he had a school dance. But now I wonder. Why would he spend the entire day with me, of all people?

* * *

I felt a little groggy the next day. Maybe because I stayed up all night trying to sort out my feelings. I don't know why, since I already admitted what I really felt to myself. I think I need to go over it ten times more until I really get what's going on.

We had no school today, so I had plenty of time really stop and go over what happened.

I plopped onto the bed. My head started to ache when I thought about my brother instead of the smart-ass that I supposedly 'loved'. My memory flashed back to that time about one month ago, when he cornered me at the restaurant. I closed my eyes and relived the moment in my head. I wondered what would've happened if he stayed with me.

Would we seriously get to go _that _far?

No.

Maybe.

Okay, I think so.

Would he really?

I don't think so…

But what if he did?

He wouldn't.

I think he would.

I think I should shut up right now.

I was about to fall asleep, until I remembered something.

"_Kakashi's here, yeah!"_

Why the hell would Kakashi be over where the smart-ass is? Do they know each other? Kakashi isn't absent usually, I already made that clear.

I decided to see if I could get the answers out of him the next day.

* * *

I think it was the next day. I found myself at the restaurant again. I looked around, and I saw the sign saying that it was Wednesday. I don't have a shift that day, so why was I here? I was about to walk home.

Why the hell was I here again? What happened to going to school?

There was someone leaning against the wall. I think he was waiting for me.

I don't think I know him. My parents were always strict about not talking to strangers. Then again, does talking to them after they saved your life count? Does talking to strangers by saying please and thank you count? Ugh. I admitted it to myself along time ago. Probably when I was five. I think about things that aren't important in life.

I approached him anyway. He was standing in a shadow, so I couldn't really see him yet. He already had a familiar air to him. I could see him smirking slightly, his head tilted to the side. He was mocking me. When I'm confused, I do not want to be mocked.

"Hello again, Sasu-chan." My older brother stepped into the light.

Oh. It's _him. _

"Aniki." I said in a monotone. I wanted to sound happy, sad, or angry. Any one of the three. Instead, my voice box chose monotone. I'm seriously beginning to think that I'm turning into Shikamaru. I continued in my Shikamaru monotone voice. "What're you doing here?"

"You're not happy to see me?"

I lied against my will. Huh. "No, why would I be?"

"You asked me to meet you here."

"Since when?"

Itachi took a step forward. I took a step back. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up against the wall. Oh, sure. I can't fight back against Mr. Perfect.

"I thought you'd figure out by now."

"Figure out what?" I muttered, feeling his breath against my ear.

"Who did you think your Sadistic Smart-ass really is?"

"…It's you, isn't it?"

I knew it. It _was_ getting obvious after a while. I just didn't want to think about it. I was talking to him about all my worries. Most of them about my older brother. Most of them about personal things. They were too alike. So much that it scared me. The only person that I find comfort in is an Anonymous person who's really my older brother?

Then again, it made perfect sense.

Now I can finally love one person.

Right after I made that conclusion in my mind, I realized that he was kissing me again.

* * *

"Shit!" I muttered, splashing water into my eyes. What was I thinking?

It was just a dream. A stupid dream.

This is what you get for falling asleep in the bathtub. You dream about weird things. Things that you know would never happen. Things that you want to happen.

Things that you know are true.

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei." I muttered, walking up to him right before lunch. I didn't care if I was missing the stupid tacos today. Usually I get unlucky and get the super-spicy taco. Then I have to spend the rest of the day at the nurse, just because I'm not one for spicy foods.

Then again, that has nothing to do with the now, so I'll just move on and get over it.

"Hmm? What is it, Sasuke?" Kakashi's sole eye stared at me knowingly. How irritating. He's reading my mind. No, he's memorized my mind.

I frowned, and just got it over with. "I was talking with my…Argh…'pen pal' over the phone. Then I heard his friend yell that you were there. Kakashi. And I don't know anyone else whose name is scarecrow."

Kakashi seemed to smile under that dentist's mask. I just had to wonder about that mask again. I think he's allergic to kids. Then why would he teach? I'm getting off the subject again.

"Sasuke, I have no idea what you're talking about." He said. Pretty assuring, too. Just another teacher that deserves a high-five for great acting. Besides, I couldn't even tell if he was lying, either. I couldn't see his other eye, I could see if his mouth was twitching or anything.

The only thing I could say for certain is that the other droopy eye is staring right at me and freaking me out.

"Fine. Be that way." I stomped out of the room. I didn't find any answers. I would just have to get it out of him, then. I entered the large cafeteria, and just sat at the table. Naruto grinned at me and gave me a cookie because he knew that I didn't have the time or motivation to make my own lunch and that I hate tacos.

**Lunch Topic???**

I wasn't there when we decided on the Lunch Topic of the day. Don't blame me.

I had no idea what the babbling was about. And I had no idea for the rest of the lunchtime. Everything that someone said came in one ear and went out the other.

The only thing I could really say, though, is that this cookie is really delicious.

* * *

I wrote a letter to the Sadistic Nerd (or 'supposedly' my older brother) talking about my weird dream.

_To the Sadistic Nerd who now haunts my dreams._

_Thanks again for the interrogation. Yeah, it was really fun. I'm being sarcastic. I just can't wait until I get to ask you questions on my birthday. Hahaha. Get ready to spill as many things as possible._

_Anyway, I'm keeping this letter short, just because I have a few urgent things to ask you._

_One: Do you dream weird dreams if you go to sleep in the bath tub? Yeah. I thought so. _

_I fell asleep. And I had this weird dream. I'm not giving any details but…yeah, all you need to know is that it's weird. Very weird._

_But I know who you are. I just don't want to admit it. I don't want you to be who you are, but I want you to be who you are at the same time._

_Just answer. _

_From, Anonymous._

I sent the letter, feeling a little tired.

Oh well. I can't risk falling asleep in an odd place and having another odd dream, so it's time to go to sleep.

* * *

I have to ask your opinion.

Isn't it weird when you have the same dream twice in a row?

* * *

All the sophomores were so excited today. They were all packed up in groups of three or four. The guys and the girls spent some time separated. The girls were all whispering to each other and glancing anxiously at some guys. The guys all had nervous, happy, or regular looks on their faces, some of them glancing anxiously at some girls.

And I just stood there in their midst, all so confused.

Only at lunch time did I learn what I needed to know.

**Lunch Topic: **Apparently, the dance.

Ugh. Not the dance. Not the summer dance that takes place on the beach, no!

I didn't want to bother with coming. Ino and her probes were probing everyone else, and thankfully, ignoring me. If she did try to probe me, I wouldn't have anything to say. Because I'm not going to this dance.

But since I have bad luck, Ino turned to me eventually. "You've been awfully quiet," she pointed out, her sky blue eyes staring directly into my dark ones.

"Yeah. I have nothing to say about the dance, that's all."

"Then, you're not going with anybody."

"Nope."

"Then can you go with me?"

"Nope." An immediate answer. She looked hurt. Man. If she cries, I'm going to go to the roof and rant to myself about why girls cry, and how it's so easy for them to cry.

"Oh…Okay." She stopped probing for a while. I think she's holding back tears. I'm going to hold that rant for a while, then.

I waited for a pang of regret.

Nope. Nothing.

Sakura walked up to me. She looked brimming with confidence once she saw Ino sulking while staring at her untouched salad. How much can a girl not eat? Ino's practically made of sticks. I wonder how she gets through gym everyday.

Anyway, back to Sakura. She gave me her nice smile. I think she's plotting something. Something about the dance, of course. Ugh. She'd better not ask me.

"Sasuke-kun, will you go to the dance with me? The cherry-blossom girl asked hopefully.

She asked me. What luck?

"No," I muttered. I wasn't going to that dance. Not if it was on the beach. Not if I'm going to have to go with someone I really don't like. Not if I'm not going with the Sadistic Smart-Ass/my supposed older brother.

She did start to cry. All the guys at the table groaned, Neji muttered something, Lee ran up to comfort her, and I just took my tray and dumped all of its contents in the garbage can and walked off to the roof to start ranting about why the hell girls cry.

Seriously, why do they cry so easily? They cry because of great emotion, yeah, yeah. What's so sad about someone turning you down to a dance? Nothing. She's better off without me, because I don't really like her. Just as a friend. A little bit as a friend. More of an acquaintance. Another time when Ino asked me to the dance last year, I told her that I was already going out with Sakura. Man, she broke down. Sakura looked so triumphant. I thought they were best friends. Ugh.

I was just taking my walk up to the roof. Instead of making it to the roof, I was bombarded by members of the two fan clubs. Shouldn't they all be at lunch right now? But no. Spend your lunchtime stalking your hopeless love.

"Sasuke-kun, will you go to the dance with me?"

"Please go to the dance with me, Sasuke-kun?"

"Won't you go to the dance with me, Sasuke-kun?"

"Sasuke-kun please go to the dance with me?"

"Sasuke-kun, I can you go to the dance with me?"

_Shut up. All of you just shut up! _

"No. No to all of you."

"Aww!" and "Why?" went the tougher girls. And the rest of them just started to cry. I can't stand it when girls cry. And you know what's worse? Boys crying.

Some of them had the nerve to come up to me and ask me to the Summer Dance. Get a life, people. Why would I say yes to random people that I haven't seen in my life?

"Sasuke-kun," a random guy that was from my class said. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

I blinked. And then said no. Simply put. Dude, I don't even know you. I don't think I've ever seen you in my life. And I'll put this as bluntly as possible – you're very, very, ugly. But then again, I just shut my mouth and decided to be nice and say a straight out no.

And so, by the end of the school day, I wish my name wasn't Sasuke-kun. I seriously prefer Sasu-chan to that. Maybe because it reminds me of my brother.

Finally, the quiet heaven of a high school rooftop. Places where only emo kids go when they're having more trouble than usual. I don't know if I'm emo, but I go here when I have trouble. That counts. Rooftops are so peaceful. But it makes me wonder how such a hectic school could even be peaceful at one place. No one goes on the rooftop anymore. I think it's because they think it's clichéd. Oh well. I like my rooftop, because no one goes up there anymore. Wow. A cloud shaped like Naruto. Weird.

I seriously think I'm turning into Shikamaru. Still, he doesn't even have the energy and motivation to go on the rooftop.

I wish that when school starts I can be able to just walk up to the rooftop and stay there until school ends. Huh. I went to school, I'm just cutting class. Does that count as playing hooky or something?

At least the barrage of people following me disappeared. Thank God.

I think at least half of the sophomores asked me to the dance. Neji asked me. He said it was just because TenTen was going with Lee this year. Poor guy. I thought that he and TenTen were inseparable. He should ask Hinata. Hyuugacest...Haha. Well, at least they're cousins.

Still, I turned down half of the sophomores who asked me to the dance. Wasted efforts. Who would want to go with me, anyway? Think really hard about it. I'm psycho, I rant to myself, and I'm in love with a guy I never met who's supposedly my older brother. Yeah. I think you've made your decision.

Besides, I'm basically already taken.

* * *

The Smart-ass sent me an e-mail. It was about my last letter.

**Subject**_ :(no subject)_

_Thanks for appreciating the interrogation. I'm going to try and evade all of your questions. I'm good at finding loopholes. If I can't find any, I'll answer truthfully. Make your questions specific. Just a warning._

_You fell asleep in the bath tub. Smooth. When you said, 'Yeah, I thought so' did you think that I'd say yes or I don't fall asleep in the bathtub? Never mind._

_All dreams are weird. Get over it._

_Finally your deduction skills are working. It was real obvious. It took you this long. Then again, you might be completely wrong. _

_Ja ne._

Ugh. I'm not going to get anywhere at this rate.

I wrote a reply to him. If he really knew who I am, and he's right, then if I really knew who he is, and I'm right, what's the point of it all? I just have to stop myself from yelling at him.

**Subject: **_(no subject)_

_Fine. I'll make my damned questions specific. But if I'm going to confirm it. I'm nearly positive that you're who I think you are. That just sounded a little wrong. _

_I expected that you'd say 'No person in their right mind fall asleep in the bath tub'. If you did, there's no offense taken. I'm not in my right mind. Even if you don't fall asleep in your bath tub, you're not in your right mind either. _

_You have problems._

_My dreams are extra weird. _

_I have a school dance coming up. Ugh. I hate dances. It's one of those summer dances where everyone goes to the beach and dances in their bathing suits or something like that. If I were to go, I'd only go for the beach itself. And I've turned down at least half of the sophomores in my class. Including some guys._

_Naruto still hasn't asked me yet. I don't think he got over it, but…yeah. _

_And if you want to know, you're part of the reason why I've been turning down everyone. You're part of the reason why I might turn down Naruto (but I probably won't because he might disappear again). _

_Mata ne. _

I just hoped that he wasn't too clever that he could figure out that last paragraph. I think I put too much, but it was too late. My right hand turned rebellious for one second and clicked send.

I wonder if left hands are rebellious, too.

* * *

The dance is on a Friday night. Wow. Friday already. Time flies when you're having fun turning down half the kids in the school.

Naruto still hasn't asked me, and the dance isn't his favorite topic either. At least we have something in common. Our love lives are totally inactive. Once, Ino told me that (probably out of frustration) people's love lives are like volcanoes. At first I was like 'What the heck?' but now it's sort of understandable. Something about being dormant at first. And when your time comes you explode and it'll be the first thing you care about.

Exploding. Too late now.

**Lunch Topic: **Dance Take Two

I didn't bother buying lunch. I sat at our regular table, crossing my arms and I think I was sort of pouting like a little kid. Let's face it; I won't grow up. I refuse to. Teenager problems are so irritating that I wish I was a kid. I don't wish I'm an adult at all, because those problems just seem to double.

And high school just makes it all the worse for me. Stinking hormones. Stupid part-time jobs. Idiotic fan girls. If this is what high school does to you, I wonder what college would be like. I heard that it's a lot worse, especially if you're living on the campus. But if college does that to you, I wonder what real life does to you.

Ugh. High school is just the beginning and I hate it already.

"Sasuke-kun, are you going with anyone yet?" Ino asked a hint of jealousy and bitterness in her voice. She never talks to me like that, except when I turn her down for everything. That blonde is so not my type. Girly sentence was just spoken. Excuse me while I clean the remains of the sentence off my tongue.

"No," I muttered dully. I glared right back at her bright, yet cold eyes. Geez. Girls equal irritating.

She seemed to back off a little when I added that I'm probably not going to the dance anyway.

It only took me three more seconds after Sakura arrived for me to leave the cafeteria and go to my precious, quiet roof. I was bombarded by a few other girls and one shy boy. After climbing up the stairs, I'm back to my little heaven haven.

But I had an intruder just a few seconds later.

* * *

I got a reply from the letter I sent to the Sadistic Smart-ass.

_To you. _

_There's nothing much to say, since I basically replied to you about your 'dream' and about you finding out who I am over the Internet._

_But I'll just say that you sound really frustrated. Poor baby. You don't like the fact that I interrogated you? Or is it the fact that I always evade your questions? You don't imply things too well, do you? If you want your answers answered, then ask me straight out. _

_Then again, we'll all just have to hope that you have the guts to. _

_You don't have to if you don't want to. Just some life-long advice that you have to hold on to. You just don't seem like the kind of person to be really subtle. But, if you think about it, sometimes you have to be subtle. _

_In order to be the most perfect human being you must have almost every single quality known to mankind in you. And if all human beings seriously aim to be that way, we can't be perfect. Make sense?_

_I'm just rambling on again._

_Naruto asked you, didn't he? If you said no, poor guy. If you said yes, he must've been ecstatic. I heard how he is from the blonde idiot on my end of the world. I expect Deidara to tell me about some overly hyped-up and happy letter soon about how the love of his life finally accepted him._

…

_Like I said, nothing much to say._

_From, Anonymous_

He just acted a little sadistic again in the beginning and a little weird in the middle, and back to his regular weird self at the end. Does this guy have a split personality?

_To the Sadistic Smart-Ass_

_I hate everything about you. I seriously do. _

_I'm subtle and straight-forward. I'm just acting subtle, because I don't completely know you yet. I might be straight-forward after the school year._

_You are very weird, you know that? You think about the weirdest things in the universe, and make up the weirdest things in the universe. I can never understand anything about you. Yet I understand that paragraph about perfect human beings completely._

_That just means that we're both on the same page. For now._

_Tell me about Deidara's reaction. I said yes to Naruto. _

_From, Anonymous_

Great. Time to get ready for the stinking beach dance.

* * *

**Subject: **_(no subject)_

_So, yeah. The dance was weird. I'm going to tell you all about it, because I know that you would ask me what happened._

_Everything was pretty normal at first. It's a beach dance, you know. Basically, Naruto and I just acted as if we were best friends. As it really should be. My feelings about Naruto aren't any different._

_We all just had fun and stuff. I really didn't pay attention to dancing much. More of fun in the sun. Wow, that sounded wrong. We just acted as if it was just us and our friends at the beach, and acted as if everyone else at school was non-existent. Yeah. _

_Chouji (a fat kid) caught a fish and ate it raw. No comments on that one._

_Well yeah, I really only danced a little when better songs came on. But eventually, I got to spend some…uh…'alone time' with Uzumaki. And yeah. I kissed him to make him feel better, but it was nothing more than that!_

_Yeah, that's basically it._

_Thanks for reading._

_Mata ne._

* * *

Like Sasuke, said, Thanks for Reading! If you read this, please review and complain all you want about my slow update. Thank you all so so so so so so much! Next chapter will be up as soon as possible (which will probably be a long time from now). _Cries._


	10. I'm going on vacation

Thank you all! For waiting, too! I've been so busy that I can only touch the computer for five minutes! Okay, Sasuke's not much of a moron now. But it's hard, since there's basically no point except for the hilarity.

If you didn't know, this is based on the Japanese School Year. So it's Spring, Summer, Fall, and you get out before Winter I think.

Oh wells. Enjoy.

**Chapter Ten: I'm going to vacation**

We barely had a vacation, back in the day. Only when we were lucky. Like when Father was off and Mother was off, too. And when Itachi decided that he'd go, too, for once. Shisui sometimes came.

I felt that during vacation you would always get closer to the people you're vacationing with. I think that was especially true with me and my brother. We'd never shared a room before, but we had to during vacation. And whenever we go to sleep, we got yelled at for staying up too late talking. Those were really the days.

* * *

It was nearing the end of June already. Summer vacation was up tomorrow, and I had free time the entire time. That's what I call heaven, now. Time to spend by yourself without some fan girls following you around, and some elated blonde that's supposed to be your best friend hovering around you 24/7. 

Then again, there was only one more day to endure before I get that freedom. And because of everyone's anticipation, the day will be made of molasses.

Before I went to school, I got the Smart-ass' reply about my time at the dance. I seriously wonder. He sent it to me in a letter, and it explained why he didn't e-mail me back instead. What a stinking reason to make me wait.

_To you._

_It's so much more fun writing to you like this. We should seriously get our own mailman to send this back and forth. It'd be a lot faster, and the mailman would be totally tortured by yours truly._

_You really aren't that anti-social, now are you? Finally you proved it to me. The fact that you rant to yourself just made me think that you are. Huh. _

_Glad you had a nice time at the dance. If I go to those stupid parties they hold every night at this college, I think I'd forget all about you. So yeah, it turns out that I go to that sort of college. Sucks. My intellect is being wasted at a place like this._

_My friend Kisame did that once. Caught a fish and ate it raw. He resembles a shark and he practically is, so it's completely understandable._

_Either you're just saying that you kissed that Uzumaki kid to try and make me jealous, or you're denying your true feelings for him. Or you're just a sucker for people who really like you for who you are. I personally think it's either the first or the third one. _

_Not that I would be jealous._

_Still, since you say that overall, you had 'fun and stuff', so I'll assume that you liked the kiss. If you go out with him again, I wouldn't blame you. I think that Uzumaki kid is good for you. _

_Yeah, well, your choice._

_From, Anonymous_

Huh. No answers again. But still, that time I didn't imply or say straight out that I wanted answers, so there's no pressure on that one. I hoped if I got off the fact that I wanted answers he'd start saying something that would be useful. Of course, this Smart-ass knew exactly how to evade my questions. Ugh.

_To the Sadistic Smart-Ass._

_You really are living up to your name of being a Sadistic Smart-Ass. You know what? I'm going to keep calling you this even after this school year ends. Bleh. I just need this summer vacation to fly by quickly. Then I need the rest of the school year to be nice and beat it. Then I'll finally meet you. _

_Man. I'm really dying of anticipation to see if I'm right about who you are or not. I think I'm about ninety-five percent sure. _

_I am not anti-social. I have friends. They're just the only thing I have right now, other than you. I should count you as a friend, shouldn't I? _

_Yeah. My new friend, the Sadistic Smart-Ass. Doesn't sound right. Sadistic Smart-Ass sounds better._

_But ever since I started writing to you, I'm getting ultimately tired of writing your nickname. _

_If I go to a college like that, I don't know how I'm going to live. Hopefully I'll be close enough to not have to live on campus. Konoha College is enough, but I'm afraid my intellect is going to be wasted there. Seriously, I want a life. But if you really believe that your intelligence is being wasted at that college, why did you go there in the first place? I don't know much about how college goes, since I don't have parents to talk to anymore, but can't you leave? If you can't, then that's shit._

_You really don't understand the situation between me and Naruto, do you? I'm not going out with him again. I kissed him to make him feel better. There. I'll go with number three then. I'm a sucker for those who really like me for who I am. And I think that's the truth for everyone, no matter what._

_Including you._

_From, Anonymous_

I liked that mood I placed at the ending. Maybe he'll say something at the next letter or e-mail.

I looked at the clock and bonked my head against the wall for one second. Reading and writing that letter made me late already. Oh great. There goes my perfect attendance.

* * *

**Lunch Topic: **Summer Vacation. 

Oh great. Ino's probing. But Ino's not probing today. I'm out of the loop half the time, so I'm still wondering why. Everyone should be talking about what they and their families are going to do during summer vacation. Knowing some of my friends, they're probably going to stay here and do nothing as usual (which I personally have to do, since I have to save money for college and stuff like that).

Naruto stood up on the table. Great. He only does that when he has something big to announce to us 'Konoha Twelve'. That name for us has a nice ring to it, but it sort of bugs me. I think it means that I have to be part of them no matter what.

I don't want to be part of their group. But I want to be. Like I said. I'm totally weird and incomprehensible.

"Hey, everyone," Naruto said, a big smile on his face. "My dad is letting us all go out on vacation together! On this resort!"

"And he's paying for it all?" Shino said in disbelief. Naruto was sort of a rich kid. Not so rich that he will call people like me peasants. His dad just makes a lot of money, and his mom is just overly generous at times.

"Yeah, but he's not paying for the extras like souvenirs and stuff," Naruto said. He quickly added when he saw me open my mouth. "And I won't let any of you say no."

"Bleh. I hate you," Ino said. "I had a lot to do this summer vacation and I don't want to waste it on some sort of resort thing with idiots like you."

"They have designer shops, too!" Naruto said right after Ino groaned the word 'idiots'. Of course that blonde was in the idiot section. He's heard that ever since the beginning of his life, I guess. Yet he's still offended by it.

"Okay, I guess I can go," Ino immediately changed her mind. Girls and their shopping.

I just rolled my eyes. "Naruto, you know that I can't go. I have work to do over the summer. If not, I don't know how I'm going to live for the rest of my life."

"Aw, come on, please? It'll be fun. And you really need fun." Naruto jumped off the table and sat down next to me. He was really getting comfortable around me again after the dance. A little too comfortable. But at least he didn't disappear again. This is just my contribution to helping Naruto.

"…I'll think about it, okay?" I mumbled. I seriously wanted to go for some reason. The only problem that I had was that I couldn't send the Smart-Ass any letters for a while. Then again, I could always bring my laptop and e-mail him.

Still, I have to talk to him about this.

* * *

In the end, I said yes to Naruto's proposal to going for a vacation. Kakashi-sensei, Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei, and Gai-sensei were going, too. Those four teachers were the most human teachers that you'll find around. Inside school they do their job. Outside school, they're just about the best adults you'll find. 

I was just about ready to leave. But the unchecked mail irritated me for a moment, so I opened the Smart-Ass's letter and scanned it.

_To You._

_Deidara says that your group of friends is going out on a vacation together. At least you're slowly becoming more social and less anti-social. Oh yeah, we're having a little bit of a short vacation, too, just for you to know._

_Your birthday is on July 23__rd__, right? Okay. Just call me when you have the time. If I don't pick up, that must mean that I'm either in class or I'm dead, okay? And if someone picks up the phone just say that you have the wrong number and call later._

_Yeah. I have a lot of troubles about phone calls. _

_I'm not the type to actually be someone's friend, if you know what I mean. People tend to avoid me. And if you don't want to write my nickname any more then stop writing it. You're really difficult, you know that?_

_I can't leave this particular college. The only reason I was able to go into college was because of those idiots that I hang out with. They can be serious at times, but they're mostly arguing idiots. You probably think of your friends the same way. Or nearly the same way._

_Oh well. It's your loss. You seem like the depressed kind of guy that only makes real contact with a weirdo like me. Some peppy guy like Naruto would be perfect for you. I seriously did think that you said that to make me jealous, but oh well. It didn't work._

_From, Anonymous_

At first I was disappointed at the ending. He said nothing about the mood I tried to place on it. But I hadn't read the P.S. part yet.

_P.S. Fuck that last part._

Well, that sort of gave me some answers. I wrote a letter back to him quickly, wondering if Naruto was going to yell at me for being late.

_To you, The Sadistic Smart-Ass_

_I was going to tell you about the vacation thing but Deidara's always a step ahead. Now you know. I'm going to be busy having fun in the sun again. If I'm really going to have fun. I seriously hope you do something about your attitude during your vacation._

_Thanks for letting me add something else to my 20 questions list._

_And people say that I'm difficult at times. Naruto's a lot more difficult, so wait until you meat that idiot. So irritating, defiant, and definite. _

_You say that you're smart. Then why couldn't you get yourself into a better college? Great. I'm going to add that to my list, too. Man, I have so much to ask you. Can't it be 100 questions instead? I guess not. You're unfair. You asked perverted questions. At least I'm sure I'll ask real questions._

_How the hell did your friends help you get into your college? I'm just adding to the paragraph up above. Answer if you want to._

_Which you probably don't. You're too mysterious for my tastes. _

_Naruto isn't my type for the last time._

_I don't get you. And I never will. I think you're mad at me because of that last part, but why? You have to answer, or else._

_From, Anonymous_

Even when I say you have to answer, he won't. That's the worse thing about him. He won't listen to me at all.

Damn. Naruto's going to yell at me for being late.

"Sasuke-teme, where were you!?" Naruto yelled when he saw me walking towards the large group of weirdoes in the distance. He had reverted back to Sasuke-teme, so I suppose he feels a little better about me now. More normal. Sasuke-teme is as normal as normal can get for Uzumaki. _(Spoilers about Naruto's parents below!)_

Everyone was there. There was grinning red-headed Uzumaki Kushina standing behind Naruto. Next to her was Naruto's dad, Namikaze Minato. Of course, now he's Uzumaki Minato. There were our teachers, Asuma, Kurenai (pregnant, but going), Gai, and Kakashi. The rest of my friends were there, including the Sand Siblings, but there was just one unfamiliar face.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet Sai," Naruto said with a big smile on his face. Pfft. Sai. What a stupid name. "He's an old friend of mine."

Everyone said hello in their own weird ways. I just nodded at him. He was an odd looking guy. He looked almost like a girl. Actually, he looks a lot like me when my hair isn't like a cockatoo. He just smiled at us in a very odd way. Sai seemed to be debating something in his head, but I couldn't understand what.

We all were separated into different cars. I was stuck with the Uzumaki family, Sakura, and Sai. Naruto had blasted the radio on full volume, and I just rolled my eyes as Sakura and Sai were talking to each other. It was a little bit of a long ride to the airport, and I get motion sickness sometimes. I heard Naruto's dad say something about it being a long plane ride, and I seriously hoped that I wouldn't die on the plane.

When we were on the highway I saw Kakashi driving peacefully with his eyes closed and Temari sitting at the passenger seat. Temari was screaming at Kakashi, Kankurou was laughing like crazy, and Gaara was his silent self. Apparently Temari was scared of crashing, but Kakashi always drives like that…Weird.

Later on I saw Asuma and Kurenai in their large van. Ino was singing to the radio. Shikamaru was covering his ears in irritation, and Chouji was trashing the place with empty snack bags. Kiba was just playing with Akamaru at his seat, and Hinata was playing with him. Shino seemed to be dead.

I spotted Gai. I knew he was singing the song 'Macho Man'. Oh, god. Lee was singing along too. Neji looked like he was going to die of annoyance and TenTen was smiling awkwardly.

* * *

Geez. The airport finally came up. We all boarded our plane. We were in the middle. The one flaw that Minato had made. I am so glad that they have those barf bags. Itachi always told me when I was young that I throw up on long plane rides like this. 

I sat next to Naruto and Kurenai-sensei. She looked like she was having a lot more difficulty than I had. It must be hard being pregnant. It makes me proud to be a male. Then again, girls must be proud to be girls because we guys know that we wouldn't be here without girls. Then again, we guys wouldn't be here without girls, and girls know that they wouldn't be here without guys. And the cycle goes on.

When we took off, I stole some of Naruto's bubble gum. Uzumaki wanted to keep them for himself. Bubble gum makes your headache go away a little.

But it was funny, because a few minutes after we took off, Kurenai-sensei clutched onto Asuma, muttered something that I couldn't make out. Asuma looked like he was going to faint, and he did.

"Kurenai-sensei, what's wrong?" I asked, hoping to God that it wasn't 'time'.

Kurenai shook her head slowly, putting her hand over her large stomach.

"Sasuke-teme? Kurenai-sensei? Asuma-sensei?" Naruto blinked at the both of us and the fainted adult.

"M-my water broke…"

"AAAAAAAAAH!"

Of course Naruto would take it the immature way and scream. I nearly took the immature way and screamed with him. Oh, shit. I have no clue what to do for pregnancy, and we're supposed to keep our seatbelts on. Kakashi broke the rules and leaned forward, staring at Kurenai with intensity.

"Yep. Her water broke."

"We know that you bastard!" Naruto said, freaking out. "How the hell could you be so calm about this? OH MY GOD!"

I nodded. You have to agree with Naruto. "Do you know what to do?" I asked, trying to stay calm. Geez, Naruto was making me freak out.

Kakashi sat up and crossed his arms wisely. Dramatic pause. We don't need the drama. He opened his eye and said rather happily, "Nope."

"And you had to think about that?!" Naruto screamed. An attendant ran over and asked what was wrong and also added in to Kakashi that he has to put his seatbelt on. Ooh. No one on this plane knows what to do about this. This sucks. But luckily, the seatbelt sign turned off. The pilot ordered that everyone should stay calm.

Man. We have five more hours. Can a woman hold on for that long? I seriously hope so. Shoot. Kurenai's really strong, but I'm still really, really freaked out. Naruto stood up and ran to the bathroom. I think the blonde's going to throw up.

He came back after a few minutes, and two of the attendants were talking rapidly. They said something about a college student who's learning to be a doctor that might know about this. One attendant ran off. Man. I'm getting tired of these college students stomping on my life.

I sat closest to Kurenai, so I held onto her arm protectively, trying to be encouraging, since Asuma wasn't conscious to do it. I don't think I sound encouraging. I was shaking a lot more than she was.

The attendant came back after a few moments. I didn't have the time to look up to see who it was, because Kurenai was screaming. I wanted to cover my ears, but that would just make the situation worse. A few attendants took Kurenai away, obviously to a more private place. I looked up to see who the doctor was, but all I saw was a black pony tail. Oh, God. Was my older brother seriously training to be a doctor?

We arrived at the Waterfall Village. It was at the end of the plane ride, and an ambulance immediately wheeled Kurenai away. Asuma and Kushina were with her. Kakashi told us that we would see her later, and that we should thank that guy who was the doctor. Kakashi was smiling under his mask again. He knows something.

At the airport, we caught up with a group of familiar college students, laughing recklessly. There he was. The blonde Deidara and my older brother. So much for avoiding him. So irritating! Argh!

"Hey, we'd like to thank you for helping our friend back there," Kakashi casually said. Dude! Older brother! Right there! Back-up please! Torture. Pure torture. Kakashi didn't seem surprised at all that he was talking to my older brother.

"Hn. Don't worry about it," Itachi murmured. I felt his dark eyes watching me. If I looked back at him I'd die, because he was a basilisk. Shoot. I think he smirked. Kakashi walked off but I stayed rooted on the spot. I think I was too afraid to move again.

I felt him flick my forehead. "You've grown." I looked up. Damn. His eyes are still as beautiful as ever.

"Itachi! Yeah!"

Die, Deidara. Don't break this marvelous moment I'm in.

"Coming," Itachi said, though his eyes were still on me. I think I squirmed a little, but my stupid eyes just kept staring. He leaned down and kissed my forehead. I jerked up, but my mouth kept shut. Man, I really, really, want him to stay. But my stupid mouth was glued shut by an odd feeling. "Mata ne."

"W-wait!" Glue isn't as good as staples. They have to come of eventually. If you pull hard enough, it'll just fall apart.

"Hm?" He turned smirked again. He's enjoying this moment, that sadist…

"I…Can you…Um…" I'm like a girl who's talking to Orlando Bloom. I think I am a girl sometimes. This guy is turning me into a girl. Next thing you know, I'll be exactly like Ino and Sakura. Speaking of my friends, they hadn't even noticed I was gone, yet. I could see their silhouettes. They were taking a bathroom break, because the bathrooms in planes are freaky and weird. There were a lot of them, of course, so it would take them some time to finish. Good. I need all the time I can get.

Itachi took a step forward. My feet were to the floor now. Why does my heart beat so fast when I'm around him? Is it love? If it is, then it feels really…um….

He lifted my chin up. Oh shoot, stop looking at his eyes. He kissed my lips ever so gently. Oh, wow. This feeling was better than in my dreams. He left me on the spot after that brief moment. Why would he want it to end? I've got to catch up to Naruto.

* * *

We reached a hotel that was near the big waterfall in the village. We got separated into these rooms: 

Room 514 – Me, Naruto, Kiba, AND Sai (Great. Loudies.)

Room 515 – Sakura, Ino, Hinata (Fine, but I feel sorry for Hyuuga.)

Room 516 – Temari and TenTen (That's just asking for trouble seeing that those two are rivals…)

Room 517 – Gaara and Kankurou (I envy their brotherly love…)

Room 518 – Neji, Lee, and Shino (No comments on that one)

Room 519 – Shikamaru and Chouji (Ditto.)

Room 520 – Naruto's Parents

Room 521 – Asuma and Kurenai (When she gets out of the hospital)

Room 522 – Kakashi and Gai (Repeat of Room 516)

I think I'm going to suffocate. I can't stand sleeping in the same room with Naruto, Kiba, and Akamaru. Naruto snores, Kiba sleep walks and sleep talks, and Akamaru always pees on places where he shouldn't. Like my head. I don't know about Sai, but he seems weird already. He keeps mentioning Naruto's…thing.

I immediately took out my laptop and checked my e-mail. Naruto popped up but I kicked him out of my new 'personal space line'. No one near the bed, or else.

**Subject: **_(No Subject)_

_I won't receive your last letter until I get back from my very short vacation, so we'll put that conversation on hold. Just telling you that. _

_Plane rides are now unpredictable these days. _

_Just ranting. I don't have much to tell you, other than the fact that Deidara makes a lot of noise. E-mail me back when you have the chance._

_Ja ne._

Pfft. Oh well. I can live without that conversation I started up in that last letter for a while. And I know that he's implying something on 'Plane rides are now unpredictable these days'. And the fact that he's gong on vacation, too. It just brings the percent of him being my older brother up to 97.

You say I'm being too cautious and that it's too obvious to not be true, coincidences do happen.

**Subject: **_re:(No subject)_

_That's the shortest thing you ever wrote to me, I think. Doesn't matter. I just got here, to the Waterfall Village, anyway. I've got to keep this short, too, or else Naruto's going to be suspicious. He's sharing the same room as me. So is my friend Kiba and a weird guy named Sai. _

_Nothing much happened. Plane rides these days are unpredictable. If you know what I mean._

_Okay, well, yeah. Got to go. I'll probably talk to you later when everyone else is asleep. Lucky that Naruto and Kiba are deep sleepers. Still not sure about Sai. Sai is so weird, and I've only known him for a few hours. He talks about Naruto's 'thing' a lot. He harasses some of the girls, but he's a great artist. I sort of envy him, since I'm horrible at art. Give me a pen and paper and tell me to draw myself I'll do the Shikamaru (I've mentioned him before, right? He's this lazy guy) and draw a stick figure. Then again, I've heard of cute stick figures before. How the hell are stick figures cute? How the hell do people make stick figures cute?_

_Shoot. I wish I could delete all that ranting I typed but… I'll do the Shikamaru and send this shit over to you._

_Mata ne._

That was horrible ranting. Oh well. It's going to be a long vacation. Hopefully I'll be alive to meet the Smart-ass one day.

* * *

Random chapter! Yay! Oh well. I meant to make this chapter and the next chapter one big chapter, but then I realized that it'd take forever. So yeah. Next chapter coming up. Thank you all! 

Oh yeah, the thing about stick figures…my friend drew stick figures for this contest to win free tickets to a carnival and she won. This world is so WEIRD!

Don't ask me how Naruto's parents can afford it. Weeeird.


	11. I'm not telling you

Don't worry guys. I'll get you details on Naruto and Sasuke's kiss later. Trust me. The time will come. Yay! Sorry again for the slow update! I want to attack myself!!!

This chapter is a little bit of nothing at the beginning. Just some weird stuff about formal stuff… Enjoy the middle and the end, though!

**Chapter Eleven: I'm not telling you**

Itachi would never sleep in front of me. He would never eat in front of me. He would never do anything that made us human in front of me. Only in special occasions, which barely came. Usually he'd either ignore me completely.

Still, that never stopped me from loving the times when he would really act like an older brother. You know piggybacks and stuff. It really seemed that after our parents died he became closer to me and more distant to everyone else in the world. Almost like he didn't care about anyone but me.

I can't get too excited, though.

* * *

It's already been a week into our vacation, and I feel the urge to go back and be free again. I don't want to let Naruto down, so I'll just hang back and act happy, like the rest of my friends. Except I don't think they're acting. Why did they ask me to be here in the first place? I'm no ball of fun. More of a ball of a sense of depression and 'hn-ness'.

Sure, I was basically ignored half the time in this vacation, anyway. Naruto always hung around me. He actually still thinks he has a chance with me. I thought I made it straight to him last night. Maybe I shouldn't have kissed him. Maybe then he would be backing off and giving me the quietness that I need to _think. _That blonde doesn't shut up.

And of course, I feel like an idiot when we went to a small beach. I absolutely refused to change into a bathing suit. And you know why? Fan girls Ino and Sakura have been tailing me since the beginning of creation. If I go out there, shirtless, then the rest of my life will be spent running away from females.

I think I'm exaggerating too much. But maybe I'm not.

* * *

I sent the Smart-Ass an e-mail about Kakashi-sensei. That idiot sensei seemed to know too much about us, and yet doesn't do anything about it. Wasn't he and Itachi good old friends back in the day? He hasn't seen him in a while, and he has no reaction when we crashed into him at the airport.

**Subject: **_(No subject)_

_Look, you said right at the beginning that you know who Kakashi-sensei, my English teacher is. If you don't remember, he's the wacky white-haired teacher who makes you read porn for literature._

_I overheard him coming over to your place when I called you on your birthday. What the hell was that about? Tell me! It's nothing that important, is it? If you don't answer me then I'll be forced to confront the idiot sensei myself._

_I'm serious._

_I've got to go, since we're going out to eat._

_Mata ne…_

He's not going to say anything, is he?

* * *

It doesn't matter. I'm going to get answers tonight, whether he answers or not.

We had to go to some formal place for a nice, formal dinner, so we had to wear uncomfortable formal clothes. The girls were happy because they got a chance to show off nice dresses. This is what I find unfair about formal stuff. Girls have a lot of different things that they can wear. Guys…not so much. If you ever watch those celebrity TV shows, and the celebrities are walking on the red carpet, the reporters only really make comments on the girl's dresses, and pay no attention to the males. Poor us, but at least it brings more attention to the girls than the guys, which I personally like.

Except I have a fan club, so I'm not so thrilled about wearing a tux or something like that.

We all met at the lobby of the hotel. All the girls except for Hinata seemed pretty proud of themselves in their dresses. All the guys were just there. In my opinion, they all look normal.

Kakashi obviously knew the restaurant that we were going pretty well. Oh, please don't let it be one of the stores where you have to eat snails…

We all walked there, since the restaurant was basically just around the corner. I feel sorry for the girls in…I don't know 3-4 inch heels. How the hell do they walk in them, anyway? Temari actually managed better than the rest of them. I saw Sakura and Ino trip a little, since they were wearing 4 inch heels.

We reached the fancy restaurant. Usually, I'm proud of being casual and sticking out because I'm casual, but I think I stuck out too much. I was just in regular gray pants and a button up shirt. No tie, since I hate those things and I'm a little horrible at putting them on (My brother used to do it when I was little…).

There were too many of us to sit together at one huge table, so we got a lot of smaller tables and sat near each other, hogging one entire area.

I think we were the noisiest out of them all, too. Naruto doesn't know etiquette for his life. I learned a long time ago about dinner manners and stuff, because I come from that kind of family. They used weird phrases for that, though. You know how the small plate on your left is for the bread? Lefty loafy. What the hell?

Still, Kakashi decided to be nice and pull up the chair for Sakura. We were sitting at one table. Me, Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and (…) Sai. It was a circle table. I honestly prefer the tables that aren't in the middle of the restaurant where everyone can see you, but Kakashi-sensei got most of the staring with his mask on. Naruto was on my right, and Kakashi was on my left. Next to Naruto was Sai, and next to him was Sakura. Simple as that.

Naruto kept glancing at me throughout dinner. I didn't know half the stuff on the menu, so I just ate some from the appetizer and just skipped out on the entrée. Call me rude, but…when half the things on the menu is French, you can't help but be a little freaked. Aren't the French the people who think snails are a delicacy? Are they really (Seriously, are they?)? This just makes me wonder even more about the legendary French fry.

Even after skipping dinner I wasn't hungry. Maybe because Naruto found something that looked really gross. And he ate it, and said he liked it, he pigged on them for the rest of the night. That's a great way to get rid of your appetite.

* * *

We were walking back to the hotel. Kakashi and I were walking a little bit behind the group. Naruto was up ahead, finally leaving me alone for once. I need to be alone with the idiot sensei. Maybe drag him into his room. Gai's out doing midnight jogging with Lee, anyway. How will I get him to let me into his room, though?

Naruto's the best excuse.

We were in the hotel lobby already, and everyone was already separating and walking into elevators and stuff. I grabbed Kakashi's sleeve and said in a voice that was definitely not mine, "Um, Kakashi-sensei, can I stay in your room for a while? Naruto might still be sick and I don't want to be there if he throws up."

Kakashi took the bait. "Sure." I'm sure it's because of the voice. I have to act, now, and I know I'm horrible at it. So I use this fake voice. A voice that makes me sound like a teenager and magically makes my eyes a little bigger.

He brought me over to room 522. Man, their room was a lot nicer than mine. Maybe because Kakashi and Gai are a lot neater than Kiba and Naruto.

"Well, stay as long as you like…except until Gai comes. He'll get mad at me for no reason for letting you in," Kakashi said casually, as he just sat down on a chair. I started wondering how I would make my first move. _Just wing it! _My conscience screamed.

I just walked into the bathroom for a moment, just to check. I am a girl who's on a mission to seduce a man to get information. I've stooped so low.

Okay. Another deep breath. Let's get this started.

I turned with a small smile on my face. Kakashi didn't notice me. He was too busy watching TV. Oh, geez, do I have to turn it off to get his attention? So I did. Unfortunately. Kakashi stared at me like I was mad, but I just pushed Kakashi back on to the chair. If I'm wasting my virginity on this I am so dead.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi slowly said. If there's an evil grin under that mask of his he's going to die after this vacation is over. I was soon going to find out, anyway. I mean if he was grinning under that mask. I reached over and took it off slowly, wondering if Kakashi was going to push me away and say 'No, get out'. He was silent, and I thought a song of victory while I pulled it off.

Kakashi was kind of handsome. Except for the fact that one part of his skin was tanner than the rest, he did pass for good-looking. His other eye was just as droopier as the other, and that irritated me.

"Sasuke, what in the world are you doing?" Kakashi finally questioned me. I had to think of a come-back.

"…It's nothing," I muttered, keeping one hand on his shoulder. If Kakashi tells anyone about this he is dead. Emphasis on dead. I felt so awkward doing this to him, but I had to act like it's perfectly okay. My free hand ran over Kakashi's chest. He was kind of well-built, too. Not like totally macho (ahem, like Gai), but he was just okay. Kakashi wasn't scrawny like me, at least.

"…Oookay." Kakashi said, blinking. Both eyes were staring at me intensely. Oh, geez. How long do I have to put up this act? This guy is dimwitted. Just ask me what I want and we can get this overwith.

_I could just use violence, but then I could be arrested for that…_

I bit back a pout and just ran that same hand against his cheek. His skin was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. It was part of the skin that was usually covered by his mask, so it looked a lot paler than even my Snow White skin. Kakashi just kept staring at me.

Silence. Dude. Figure it out! The real Sasuke would never in this hell of a world do anything like this!

Oh, maybe he's just being as sadistic as the Smart-ass and just waiting until I get serious about this before asking me what's up. Argh.

"Sasuuuke." Kakashi said, pronouncing the 'u' that was supposed to be silent. I hate it when people say my name like that. It's _Saske_. Seriously.

"Hn?" The 'hn' came back. So un-cute. I can't help it. Maybe then he'll realize that I'm the real Sasuke and not some phony that's completely in love with him that he transformed himself into Sasuke to get close to him.

"Ummm…I have no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it out."

Oh, god, please don't let him say that he loves me.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Tch. I'm so stupid!

But hey, mission complete…sort of.

"I need answers," I said, the pretense of the cute little seven year old gone. I pulled away from him and sat down on the bed. I was making sure that he wouldn't leave this room until he gave me answers. I crossed my arms, hoping that he would listen to me.

Adults usually don't listen. But Kakashi's weird like that.

"What answers?" Kakashi pulled back on that mask of his. I have to feel bat for that skin that's being hidden. Why the hell does he do that, anyway? To look cool? To be noticed? Like I said, Kakashi's weird like that. That's why I call him the idiot white-haired sensei.

"About my brother. You had a talk with him in the library. You crashed into him in the airport and acted like he was a complete stranger. You were friends before he left, right? I'm no idiot," I stated simply. I didn't want to waste any time. If the Smart-ass gives me answers in the next e-mail (which he probably won't…), this will all be for nothing. Which sucks, but I need a little bit of thrill every once and a while, you know what I mean?

"…Um…That's sort of confidential," Kakashi said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. Not the answer I was looking for. "You knew we were in the library?"

"Tell me or else!" I ignored the part about the library.

"Or else what?"

Shit, didn't think of that. Everyone always just adds in 'or else' for the drama and the fun of it, but no one really thinks of the or else. Did I say that before? I think I did.

"I'm not letting you leave!"

"Gai's gonna come in soon," Kakashi said casually. He's so freaking calm about something like this that I want to punch him and beat him up and throw him out the window.

"I don't care. I _need_ answers." I placed emphasis on the need part, even though it was more of an extreme want. Then again, extreme wants eventually turn into needs, so…yeah.

Kakashi blinked and thought for a moment. I hated this silence that he put on this room. Why does he have to think? Tell me or not! Maybe he's thinking of a bluff. Maybe he's not going to tell me anything. I am so irritated.

_I can still resort this to violence. _I thought.

I was about to think of a nice, violent way to take out all my anger and frustration on the idiot sensei in front of me, but Kakashi's voice cut me off. "Okay, I'll tell you. But if you tell _anyone _you are dead."

"…Fine," I said. I don't have to tell anyone. I don't have to tell the Smart-ass. "First, tell me what you were talking about in the library that day."

"Tell me how you knew."

I didn't want any lies on my side coming up. "I was accompanying Naruto."

"Okay. Well, we were talking about…you," Kakashi said, avoiding my hard glare. When the word 'you' was spoken, for some reason I calmed down a bit. Maybe it was relief. I don't know.

"W-what about me?" I was getting nervous. This interrogation I was performing might lead me to some things that I really wanted to know deep down in my heart. Does Itachi love me or not? Does the Smart-ass love me or not?

"Well…" Kakashi's lone eye swirled around the room. It made me feel uncomfortable.

"Look me in the damn eye," I snarled. Impatience is something that all Uchiha except for Mikoto seem to have.

"Sure," the sensei said.

"I hate how you used the word 'sure'. Sure is a word that's too relaxed for something like this. _I want to know, and I want to know now, you damned idiot! _…Did I just say that out loud?"

"Uuuuh…Yes."

I stayed silent for a second. "Just tell me. What about me?"

"Was it that long ago?"

"Don't you dare change the subject!"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Kakashi said, waving his hand up and down. He was resting his head on the armchair. What a tranquil position. No sarcasm. No time to think of sarcasm.

"He just told me that he has to watch over you for a while now…" Kakashi said indifferently.

"So he's _stalking _me?" I said in surprise. Uchiha Itachi is seriously stalking me?

"Basically…he just told me so that I wouldn't be worried and that I'd back him up on this right now. I really don't mind. Your brother looks like he grew up to be a fine man, if only…"

"If only what?"

"Nothing, I said nothing."

"Tell me."

"That has nothing to do with this subject."

"Now it does."

"…Still, no matter what, I won't tell you."

"Fine. Is that all that you want to say to me?" I gave in. I was ready to leave. Stalking was a great way to put all these situations that I keep catching myself in.

"He cares about you. A lot."

"…I'm going now."

"Ja ne."

"…Bastard," I muttered before slamming the door behind me. I really didn't mean that, but I was angry. Give me a reason why to keep that information away from me all this time.

Just because he told you to? He wouldn't know that I knew. And now he won't know that I know. I just have to hope Kakashi will be a good adult and keep what happened just now a secret.

A walked into my room which was only a few doors down. When I opened the door I was glad to see the other three idiots in the room fast asleep. No loudness tonight, peoples.

I opened my laptop and checked my e-mail.

**Subject: **_re: (no subject)_

…_I'm not telling you anything. End of conversation._

_Happy early birthday._

Okay. Now that was the shortest thing he ever sent me.

Oh, wait, tomorrow's my birthday…

**Subject: **_re: (no subject)_

…_Bastard… You better tell me everything when I meet you!_

_If I keep typing the typing noises that my laptop makes will wake Naruto and the rest of them up. Talk to you tomorrow. I'll call you so I can interrogate you. _

_Muhahaha._

I clicked 'send' and smiled to myself.

* * *

Alright! Naruto and the rest of them are down at the beach again, but I skipped out. No one said anything about my birthday, and I didn't care. I just wanted to call the Smart-ass.

I grabbed the phone and then it rang. The Smart-ass really is so smart that he's sort of a mind-reader. Just joking. I don't think he's smart at all. He just says that. I still respect him, though. I always will.

"Hey, Smart-ass," I chirped happily. Great days… so happy. As you can see, I am elated. I am ecstatic. I am thrilled. I am excited. I am blissful. I am jubilant. I am delighted. I am enchanted. I am rapturous. I am euphoric. I am exhilarated. I am joyous. I am festive. I am jolly. I am ebullient. I am cheery. I am merry. I am positive. I am optimistic. I am overjoyed. I am over the moon. I am in seventh heaven. I am soaring. I am jovial. I am buoyant. I am jaunty. I am sprightly. I am lively. I am bubbly. I am full of life. I am bouncy. I am effervescent. I am content. I am in high spirits. I am pleased. I am glad. I am exultant. I am triumphant. I am bright. I am gleaming. I am running out of happy adjectives that are close to the word happy.

"You sound lively." One of the listed happy adjectives. The Smart-ass was smiling on the other side, too. That just makes me even more (chooses word out of happy list) exhilarated.

I think I'm being an idiot right now, so I'll just stop on the happy list and act normal.

"Yeah, I'm sort of thrilled," I said (Another word from the happy list, but I said I'd shut up about it, so I officially will as of now).

"Good to hear that. Well…I have to give you a birthday present."

"Yeah, finally time for interrogation. Only twenty questions, right? Question Twenty: do you have a younger brother?" You can see where I'm heading with this. The Smart-ass can, too, but at least he knows I suspect him of being who he is.

"…I think I _did_. I'm still not sure if I do now."

No comments. If he wasn't Itachi, that would mean that he doesn't know whether he's alive or not. If he was, then…don't know. But he does have one, or at least used to.

"Question Nineteen: Why did you need your group of friends to get into college?"

He was silent for a few seconds before he answered. "Let's just say that I have a _record._"

That was sort of an answer. I didn't want to waste any questions on asking, so I'll ask later, if I had any extra questions left. "How many friends do you have?"

There was absolutely no pause on this one. "None," he said simply. And he sounded proud of it. Weird guy. Weird, weird guy.

"Um, okay then. Weird. Question Eighteen: How many people would you say you actually think that you really loved."

"…Two," he said slowly and hesitantly.

"Who are they?" He can't escape out of this one.

"Old acquaintances. Counts as a question. Moving on…"

I should've asked what their names were instead, damn it. I'm getting too excited. I don't want to waste any extra questions, so I moved on.

"Are you jealous about me and Naruto? Question sixteen, if you wanted to know," I said. I don't think that he can get his way out of this one.

"Maybe a _little. _You sound cute, y'know?"

"I do?"

"Yeah, really. That counts as a question."

"Damn it."

"Hahaha."

This guy was robbing me of my questions. "Um, question fourteen. Are you planning to move back to Konoha?"

He sighed. "I'll be perfectly honest with you. Yeah, actually, I am."

I am elated…blah, blah, blah. I bit my lip to stop myself from yelling 'Seriously?'. I composed myself and went on to question thirteen. "What attributes do you want to find in your soul mate?"

"Pfft. If I had a soul mate." I heard him mutter irritably. He's downing my happy vibes, but I just waited for his answer. He spoke after thirty seconds, which seemed like an eternity. "Just someone who's everything I couldn't be."

"I don't get it." Not a question. Ha!

"You don't have to. Let's move on, shall we?"

"Question twelve: What are you studying in college?"

"Things I need to know to get the career I want," he answered indifferently. I pouted. This downed my mood a little. I didn't want to waste another question, so I saved that one off again.

"Where did you go for vacation?"

"Out of campus."

"…" _I AM AN IDIOT! _

"What?"

"Nothing. Question ten: Are your parents alive or dead?"

"They're dead," he said with no hesitation whatsoever. He said with no care in the world. If he was really Itachi I'd punch him in the face. I decided not to pursue that topic, so I continued on.

"Question nine: At what age did you move out of Konoha?"

"Hmm…I think…Yeah, I think I was fifteen."

Yes! Match! "Question eight: This one's just out of curiosity. Are you graduating college this year?"

"Usually, in the field that I'm studying, it'd take much longer to graduate, but the teachers say that I'm actually ready to graduate already, so yeah, I'm graduating this year."

Yay! He's going to move back to Konoha at the end of his college year! I am elated! I am…….

"Question seven: How old were you when your parent's died." I just figured that I should just ask him that I might get a match.

"I think thirteen. I don't remember really well. Everything seems to be in a blur all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure it's thirteen, though."

Match! "Question six: What are your feelings toward your younger brother?"

"Why are you asking?" His voice was as cold as ice.

"Just interested," I tried to say that innocently. He sounded sort of scary, but I ignored it. I was just making sure that he wouldn't burst my happy bubble.

"I don't know. How I feel about him…huh? It's sort of all jumbled up, even I can't figure it out…" It sounded like the honest truth, and I believed him. He'll have it figured out soon, I knew he would.

"Umm…Question five: Have you been in contact with Hatake Kakashi?"

"You sound serious about that."

"I am."

"I've talked to him a few times. Yeah, but it's nothing serious," he said. He sounded like he was suppressing his cold voice. It didn't work out so well, but now at least I know that he cares about my feelings.

"Question four: Um…What do you feel about me?"

"…Ditto of my younger brother." His voice lost it's casualness that it had at the beginning of the conversation. It sounded depressed, and it was downing my happy vibes again.

"Oh. Okay…" I mumbled. "Question three: Who is the person you care about the most right now?"

Silence. Complete silence for a while. Then an answer. A lonely answer. "No one, really."

My heart fell. My happy vibes were down and in comatose. "Question Two: Are…are you lonely?" The question just slipped out of me. I didn't want to ask that question, but…I have a rebellious body.

"…Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Even I don't know myself." A lonely answer to me, but I'll just drop the subject.

"Last one. Name the two people that you care about the most." I was eager now. It was time for him to tell me.

He hung up on me.

* * *

Oooooh. Ending! Hahaha. Evil laugh. Muhahaha. Bwahahahaha. Okay, well next chapter is kind of…yeah. Get ready, get set, and try to start writing!

I had a bit of writer's block at the beginning of the chapter, so don't blame me for the lame writing. Okay, blame me.

It took me a while to get that happy list down…

Story's almost over! Guess what? It's like, 105 pages on Microsoft Word! Wows! Glad you read! Review!


	12. What if

Oh my god… Thank you all!!!!!

The story's just about more than half over, but…yeah…so enjoy it while it lasts! Thank you all for reading and reviewing and liking this story!

**Chapter Twelve: What if…**

I remember the day when Shisui died. He supposedly died of suicide, but for some reason the police suspected murder. I expected Itachi to at least cry a little, but he just stood there, expressionless. I thought that they cared for each other. A lot.

I couldn't help but be a little happier that day, though. Ever since that day, Itachi grew a little closer to me each day.

But it was only a week later until my parents died.

* * *

The vacation was over, and we were all just heading back home from the airport. Whenever I talked to the Smart-ass lately, he seemed really down. He seemed like he didn't want to talk to me right now. And that really upsets me.

Now his attitude is rubbing off on me. Naruto and Sai keep trying to talk to me, and I just tell them the truth. Go away. You're not the person I want to be with right now. Of course, I didn't tell them the last part, but that's the truth right now. I want to be with my older brother. Isn't he stalking me? Shouldn't he be around? Or is Kakashi stalking me for him?

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered.

"Fuck off, bitch."

"…"

"That means go away," I growled, turning away from her and staring out the window instead. Girls. They don't know when to go away. They don't know how to go away.

"…Okay," Sakura said, disappointed.

Naruto stared at me incredulously. Sai was too busy talking to Naruto's parents to notice, but Kushina noticed and she just blinked worriedly at me. "Sasuke-kun, you okay?" she said, giving me a concerned smile.

I hate it when adults worry about me. They seriously still have to mind their own business. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

"You sure?"

"Yes," I said in an annoyed tone. She looked a little taken aback, but I really didn't care about an adult who I barely knew. Sure, I came over Naruto's house a lot, but usually Naruto's look-alike dad was home instead. Or no one was home, but he said he was fine being home alone.

I'm not. Loneliness is the last thing a guy like me needs right now.

* * *

I got home and left my friends behind without saying a word. I didn't want anything to do with them right now. Naruto looked at me with that injured look, but I didn't have the time to worry about that right now. I'm being selfish, but I think that I have a good reason to be. The person who I love is acting weird and is ignoring me a little. Isn't that reason enough?

Then again, I do feel guilty doing this to that blonde. It's like I'm choosing my brother or the Smart-ass over my friends. I think that I'm in a girl's situation. You know how it is with those girls.

I decided to focus on the Smart-ass/brother right now.

I grabbed my phone and punched his numbers as fast and hard as I could. I closed my eyes and bit my lip and hoped that he would pick up. He memorized my number, and he has caller ID so he wouldn't pick up. And when I e-mail him he'll know that it's my address and delete it. When I send him a letter he'll know that it's my address, too, and just throw it out without reading it. When I try to IM him he'll just ignore me completely.

"Hello?"

I'm soaring. He answered! "It's me, Smart-ass," I said, trying to sound playful.

"Oh. Right."

He didn't check who was calling. I got lucky.

"Um, can I just talk to you?"

"About what?"

"Anything. I just want to talk to you," I sounded desperate. I was desperate. I needed to find something great to talk to him about, and I had so much to say to him. I think I just blanked out.

"…Are you going to say anything?"

"Why are you ignoring me like this?" I just blurted out. He was going to hang up on me soon, and I knew it. The number one thing that I want to scream came out. And I said it right to the one person I care about the most.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" I said, pacing back and forth around the room. "Ever since my birthday you've been acting dull, unhappy, and depressed or something, and you haven't been talking to me much. It takes you a week to reply to my e-mail, whenever I try to IM you, you hit the ignore button and log off immediately, and whenever I try to call you, you don't answer, or you just answer then hang up immediately. I don't understand! Is it something that I said?"

"…It's nothing."

"Don't you dare hang up on me," I said quietly but anxiously. "I don't know what to do if you hang up on me."

"…"

"Please. Just talk to me," I said, my legs suddenly getting very tired. I sat down and buried my face in my free hand. "Please?"

"Why do you just want to talk to me so much?" He asked so inaudibly. "I'm just going through hard times, okay? Please don't talk to me like that. I don't mean it that way…it just makes me feel…"

"Nostalgic."

"No."

"Liar!" I yelled into the phone. "I know it! I know who you are!"

"…Look…"

"And I know that you know who I am, too," I said, a little out of breath for no reason. "Can you just tell me why?"

"..."

"I don't want to talk to you like this. I want to talk to you like the days before my birthday. I want to talk to you _like you're my brother. _Can you do that for me? Please?" I was being selfish right now, but that was the only way that I can feel better.

"…"

"Why won't you say anything?"

He had hung up a while ago.

School started the next day. I felt dull. I ignored all of my friends for no reason. Naruto did the same.

I picked up the phone right after I got home from my part-time job. I hoped again for an answer, and my heart soared when he answered.

"…Hello." He sounded like he didn't want to answer but did, anyway.

"Did you listen to me at all yesterday?"

"…"

"Did you hang up on me yet?"

"I'm still here."

"Good. Can you please listen?"

"What if I don't want to?"

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"I _hate_ you so much right now!" I slammed the phone down, my heart still jumping in my chest. I panted a little, and wiped some tears that were about to overflow in my eyes.

I had a moment of deja-vuu.

"_I hate you!"_

I had a moment of remembering Deidara.

_For some reason he gets especially hurt when someone tells him that they hate him. He usually says that he doesn't care, that he hears it all the time, but even if he doesn't know the person at all, it seems to take him a while to recover, hmm. _

I hate myself for saying that to him.

* * *

Naruto wasn't there at school today. It was no surprise, but to my surprise, I didn't care right now. I banged my head against the wall.

I wouldn't know, since it's my first time feeling like this, but I think I would normally just stay at home if I was guilty or upset like this. And Naruto feels the same way. Is he sick or something?

Tsunade seemed extra worried today for some reason. Naruto was close to that woman, so I think that it's natural.

**Lunch Topic: **Naruto's Absence/Letters

Just what I needed. A talk about the stuff that I don't want to talk about. Ino and her probes were probing around again, and I was just sitting there, staring at this gross _thing _sitting on my plate. I don't even know what it is, and yet I bought it.

"Sasuke-kun, you're Naruto's best friend, right?" Sakura said worriedly after Ino left her alone. "Don't you know why he's out?"

"…No," I muttered.

"Oh. Okay," Sakura said, blinking, and then slowly backing away from me. Good. She was invading my personal space.

Ino and the probes. Oh, just what I needed. "Sasuke-kuuun! How're you doing with your pen pal? Going on well? Y'know we're going to meet each other soon! I'm so excited! Aren't you!? Huh? Why aren't you excited?" Ino obviously was hyper today. Ugh. This blonde decides that when everyone else is gloomy she'll be hyper. That just makes everyone hate you more, bitch.

"I'll answer each one perfectly and honestly," I muttered, doing the Shikamaru and answering candidly. "My pen pal and I – not doing so well. Yes, I know we're going to meet each other soon. I'm sort of excited. I'm not so excited because we're not doing so well."

"Why aren't you getting along so well?" Ino smirked.

"Now that is something I won't answer."

"Humph."

"Exactly. Humph."

"Oh, I know!" Ino said, snapping her fingers as her eyes lit up with inspiration.

"You know what?" I asked as I stared out the window.

"You're both _going out, _aren't you?" Ino exclaimed happily as if it were one of the most exciting things that she had ever heard. Why the hell would she be excited? She's one of my top fan girls! Shouldn't you be 'Awwww'ing or something? But no, she just happened to be a yaoi fan girl, too. Sure. Everyone knows about 'Sasuke the Uke'.

"N-no, we aren't," I managed to stammer out after I had that ranting in my head. Ino seemed to take my hesitation and my stuttering as proof that I was lying.

"Face it Sasuke, you're in _love!_" Ino exclaimed while clapping her hands together.

"I'm _not _in love! In fact, I _hate _the guy more than anything right now!" I picked up the plate with the gross-looking lunch on it and dropped it right into her silvery blonde hair. A move an angry girl would do, but I didn't care. Ino screamed loudly and everyone turned their heads. I slipped out of the cafeteria before Gai or Asuma could even notice that I was the one who did it.

Up to my haven, my roof.

* * *

When I got home, a letter in a somewhat messy handwriting was waiting for me. I recognized the 'yeah' at the end of the sentence, and groaned. Deidara was back to haunt me, and that must mean that the Smart-ass either isn't there to talk to me or doesn't want to talk to me. I just don't understand him at all. What if this lasts until graduation? What'll I say to him once I meet him?

I can't just say the truth (Which by the way, would be: "Aniki! I missed you!"). Because that would be too cheesy and it would mess up my persona.

Anyway, here was the letter.

_To the Smart-ass's friend, yeah…but I don't know if I would say friend, but, yeah…_

_Well, you know why I'm here, yeah. I'm here to fill up the hole of loneliness that develops in your heart when you don't hear from the Smart-ass everyday, yeah. And I picked up your cute little nickname and I'll call my little friend the Smart-ass, yeah. I like that idea. Smart-ass. Hehe._

_But right now I seriously think that something's up. The Smart-ass is acting weird lately, yeah. A lot more depressed than usual, yeah. I'm serious, I think something's a bit off, yeah. And, no offense, but I think it's your fault._

_I'm just making you feel worse, yeah. Sorry, yeah. _

_To try and make you feel better, I'll just say that you're the only one that can kick him back to shape, yeah. I don't know if that made you feel better, but I tried, didn't I? It's true, though, yeah. _

_He's failed some of his tests, yeah. And that's surprising. _

_Okay, yeah. Art is a bang!_

_From, Deidara._

Well that wasn't so consoling.

I threw the letter down and stomped on it a few times before writing back. A way to show my frustration is to stomp on things. Or write dark poetry, but writing is the last thing I want to do right now. Writing started this all, and writing's going to end it all. Argh.

I had to write back to Deidara, though.

_To Deidara._

_You know that I hate your letter? You know that that wasn't very consoling? You know that I am so frustrated right now I'm ready to run all the way over to Rain and rip your body apart?_

_I am so annoyed… _

_Sorry about that outburst. Just writing it out…I'll calm myself by stomping on some of my stuff right now…_

_Okay, I'm back._

_There is no hole of loneliness in my heart whenever he doesn't answer me at all. I think. _

_I'm trying to call him, contact him, or anything. I've been sending a lot of letters to him, and no answer. He deletes every e-mail I send him, and he ignores me when I try to IM him. He never answers the phone when I call him. Any suggestions?_

_I've got so many problems around at school. Is Naruto okay? He wasn't in school today, and he probably won't be tomorrow. I don't care if he says not to tell anyone about his problems. I'm his best friend and I deserve to know, got that?_

_Okay, well, that's all I have to say at the moment. _

_Oh yeah. Art is a bang. What the fuck?_

_From, Anonymous_

I stuffed it into mailbox and banged my head against the wall.

* * *

I think it was the next day. At night. It was really dark. My head was spinning slightly, and I was just taking another innocent walk at the park. I saw a glint of spiky blonde hair at the corner of my eye, and I turned around to see Naruto running away from me.

I ran after him, first wondering how the hell I got here in the first place, and why the hell he was running away from me. He stopped at the pond, and then turned to face me. Naruto looked at me with a pained smile.

"Sasuke, I'm sorry," Naruto said, reaching into his pocket. My heart was racing for some reason. I was too far away to see what he took out. I took a few steps forward. I wanted to say something, but my throat was too dry. "I'm so sorry."

I swallowed hard, and words came up. "What are you sorry for?"

Naruto cocked his head to the right, and I saw a tear run down his cheek. Naruto was always quick to cry, but I didn't even know what he was crying about.

"I can't accept it. I can't."

"Accept what? Naruto!"

I realized that he was holding a pocket knife, and my heart raced in fear. He wasn't going to kill me was he? He wasn't going to kill anyone was he? He wasn't…right?

* * *

My eyes flew open. That's what someone gets for falling asleep in the bathtub again. Weird dreams. What did I tell you?

* * *

Time flew by pretty quickly. There's just three weeks until graduation, and I haven't made any contact with the Smart-ass whatsoever. Depressing, huh? Wait until you hear what's been going on lately.

Naruto only comes to school every once and a while, but he's even more depressing than I am. He can't stand to look at me at all, and he usually runs over to the principal's office in the middle of class. When he does that, he won't come back.

Kakashi's been keeping an extra eye on me. I think Itachi asked him to, but then again, why would he? Doesn't he hate me or something?

Sakura, Lee, and Hinata are worried about me. They suddenly think I need professional help, so they've been forcing me to go to the Guidance Counselor, Shizune, when I finish (or dunk) my lunch. Everything spilled out of me when I first talked to her, and I thought that she'd stare at me like I'm weird, but she's just doing her job and pretending that she cares, I think. Or maybe she's not pretending. I can't read adult females.

Deidara keeps telling me to hurry up on helping the Smart-ass get better. I keep yelling back at him, saying, 'How the hell am I supposed to do that?' He also refuses to give me any information on Naruto. Blondes. They flock together like that I think. Then again, I don't know. I'm no blonde.

My head is still spinning for some reason. That dream keeps coming back and bothering me, and I'm making no progress at all in becoming un-depressed. The only people that dare come up to me now are Sakura, Lee, and Hinata. Ino at times. Just when she wants to probe me.

I've been talking a lot with adults, lately. I think I'm turning into an adult, but I'm sixteen now. It's fine by me. Kakashi understands me and keeps telling me that everything will be okay in the end. I want to believe him. Shizune just talks to me about anything, and even that consoles me just a little. Deidara (who doesn't act too adult-like) finally stopped yelling at me and is telling me to calm down a bit.

Okay, maybe adults aren't too bad, but I am dealing with an adult.

Now, back to the main subject.

I've nearly given up on getting back into good terms with him. I'll just sit here in my misery, knowing that all efforts are futile now. He's in control of my life, all of a sudden. And I don't have the energy or the will to rebel.

It was just a normal day, and, like I said, there's only about three weeks until graduation. I received a letter from Deidara after my part-time job.

_To, you…_

_Smart-ass is gone! I don't know where the hell he went, hmm! I'm so freaked! You're probably thinking that it's no big deal, because he always disappears like that, but for some reason I feel freaked. No one really understands except me and Shark-boy, here, but…hmm!_

_Oh my god, hmm… _

_Please call him again! Just try. Ten tries, hmm. If he doesn't pick up after your tenth try, you can give up, hmm. Just please? For a friend, hmm? We barely know each other, but please, hmm? HMM!_

_ART IS A B ANG! HMM! UN! YEAH!_

_From (the freaked) Deidara_

At first I did think that it wasn't a big deal. He always disappeared like that, even Deidara said so. I read the rest of the letter and I couldn't help but be a little worried, too. Ten tries, huh? If he doesn't pick up after the tenth, I think that I'll be too frustrated to try an eleventh time.

I picked up the phone and dialed the number slowly. I sat down on the couch and closed my eyes, praying that he would pick up and not hang up on me. I heard the stinking voicemail (which by the way, doesn't mention his name at all), and I just hung up. I called again, and the same thing happened.

Okay. Last time. In fairy tales, the last time always works, just when you're about to give up. This is no fairy tale. In reality, everything is hopeless and pointless. That includes your efforts. I massaged my head as I heard it ringing. By then, I knew that the voicemail comes up after about 8 rings, so I counted them. It was the eighth ring, and I was ready to hang up.

"Sasuke," I heard an exhausted sounding voice say.

"You finally picked up!" I yelled, sitting up abruptly. I finally realized the name he called me by. "You…know I'm Sasuke?"

"…Um…" At least the 'Um' meant that he didn't hang up on me yet. My heart was among the stars. "Yeah, it was obvious after you explained your life story and all…" He sounded tired, but he was acting a little better than he used to. He sounded timid, which didn't fit him at all.

Then I remembered why I called him in the first place. "Look, when I told you I hated you, I-"

"Meant it with every bit of your heart and soul, right?" He muttered dully. It sounded like he heard that one before. "I know."

"No!" I yelled quickly.

"…Then…What do you mean?"

"You really aren't that smart, are you, Smart-ass?"

"I'm not at these kinds of things," He muttered quietly. "Just tell me."

"I…Um…" Blank out. Just what I needed.

"…Look, Sasuke…I don't have time for this. I've got to-" the Smart-ass said hurriedly.

"Don't hang up!" I cried.

"…Sasuke…" At least he didn't hang up. I tried to calm myself down. I could hear Itachi's exhausted breathing on the other line as we just took a long moment of silence. We trusted each other not to hang up.

"Will you answer this honestly?" I asked, biting my lip.

"…Okay."

"You're Itachi, aren't you?"

"……" A quick intake of breath.

"Answer me."

"Yes."

"Will you listen to me, then?"

"…Fine," he said after a moment of silence.

I took a deep breath. It all comes down to this. He'll come back after this. Everything will be okay after this.

"I love you."

* * *

Okay. Hahaha. Turn of events. Next chapter might be a bit short, but…yeah. There might be little fewer chapters than I planned, but, it's all good, people, it's all good.

Thank you! Review, please. Glad you all loved it! Next chapter will come out as soon as possible! It's not over yet, people! Thank you all so much!!!


	13. Uzumaki Naruto

Thank you all! I'm sorry about leaving on that spot last chapter. It's just the best way to end these fics. Sorry, though!

This is probably the third to last chapter, or second to last. Enjoy while it lasts! I really love you all! Sorry, but there's really no mention of Ita-chan here. There's going to be a lot of him in the next chapter anyway. Read away…read away…

**Chapter Thirteen: Uzumaki Naruto**

I've never really lost anyone really important to me other than family. My friends were always there for me, at my side when I need them, and sometimes there when I don't want them to be. Especially Naruto. He's my best friend, of course.

But I've always taken my friends for granted. I'll admit that. You really never know if they'll disappear or not.

* * *

One more week until graduation. I'm counting down the days. Because I'm so excited that I can't stand it. 

By far, things haven't changed that much. Except for my relationship with the Smart-ass (I mean Itachi. Takes some getting used to). We've been doing a lot better. Ever since I've confessed, he seemed really happy. Ever since we both cleared out who we were, we've been getting a lot better. Even better than we used to be. He's told me a lot of things that he never told me before. He always avoided the topic of Shisui, though. I think that he and Shisui were 'together' for a while. I think.

Besides my brother, I'm trying to make Naruto feel better. It's not working out so well. He's coming back to school, but he's not talking much. Naruto keeps stealing glances at me. I don't know what to say to him anymore. I figured that I should tell him the truth, but that doesn't change the fact that he'll probably be heart broken. I just wish that he would get over me. I'm not worth waiting for. Seriously.

Speaking of Naruto, Tsunade's getting real worried for no reason. Still scavenging around for the reason, too.

I'm still living with the pretense that I hate the Smart-ass right now. Ino's still 'kyaaing' about my supposed relationship with him. I'm not giving her any self-satisfaction. My mouth is shut.

I've told Shizune that everything's been going on fine. She seemed relieved. I've also told Kakashi that everything's okay, too. He just nodded knowingly. I hate it when he acts like a know-it-all.

As you can see, everything's okay with me, except for my depressed best friend. I gave myself a goal: to have everything fixed by graduation.

School time again. I planned at home to try and catch Naruto. And to at least talk to him for a bit. Try to make him feel comfortable around me again. I have no idea what the blonde will do, seeing that he's unpredictable, but I'll manage.

I stopped at the bakery, bought a muffin, and ran out. Naruto usually passes by here since his house is just a few houses down from the bakery. I smiled when I saw blonde, spiky hair walk out of his bright orange (his parents have no taste) house.

"Naruto," I said when he walked close. Naruto looked up in surprise. He had that are-you-seriously-talking-to-me look "Hey." I chose to act normal. Maybe he won't notice how desperate I am to have him back as a friend. Maybe he's supposed to notice how desperate I am to have him back as a friend, because then he'll know that I want him back as a friend. Oh, shit. I have bad acting skills, anyway. He'll find out even if I don't want him to.

"Hey," Naruto just nodded slowly. I waited for him as he walked into the bakery, bought a doughnut, and walked out.

"No ramen for breakfast?" I asked, smirking. Was that normal? I think it was.

Naruto took a bite out of his doughnut. I read that movement immediately. He's trying to avoid talking to me so he's using the I-can't-talk-with-my-mouth-full trick. _Just swallow. You're chewing slowly, idiot._ After what seemed like an eternity to me, he answered. "Nope. We ran out. My mom is planning to buy more before I get home."

"So ramen right when you get home?"

"Duh." He was getting a little un-stressed. Good.

We talked a bit. Once we reached the high school we parted ways, but I think that he gets my point. Dude, quit being so distant and talk to me! Yeah, that was my point.

Now for my mind to wander off while we start our school day.

I'm in this school where there is absolutely no cell phones allowed, or else your cell phone will be crushed by Tsunade's or Gai's foot. The only class where cell phones are allowed are in the tranquil (not so tranquil nowadays) class of Kakashi-sensei. And despite the fact that if your cell phone rings in class or if a teacher sees it, students still bring them to school. Why? Because they want to show off their cool phones. Another reason? Because their parents force them to just in case of emergencies. Another reason? So that a teacher can break/confiscate them and their parents will buy that a better phone. Another reason? So that they can secretly text message during class. I think that's it. If you find anymore reasons, please contact Uchiha Sasuke immediately.

Joking.

**Lunch Topic: **Naruto. Plain old Naruto.

They would never put this topic up if Naruto's around. He disappeared during lunch. Probably to Tsunade's office or something. I'll just hope that Naruto doesn't find out that we're talking about him. I'll just hope that Naruto will come up eventually and end this conversation.

Even Ino and her probes have calmed down a bit. This was a pretty serious topic, after all. We were all just wondering why he was so depressed. Even I recovered from my serious don't-talk-to-me-attitude. I kept seeing some of the boys steal me a glance. The girls were clueless. The guys knew that I was the reason for his depression. That's depressing.

"Oi, Uchiha," Kiba walked over and sat down next to me. I hate it when people just plain old use my last name. I gave Kiba a sharp glare, hoping that that would make him go away. "You know that you're the only one that can help Naruto."

"Hn," I muttered. I've known that for a long time now. Go away.

"Give us some help," Lee said, who just happened to be sitting on my other side. Great. Weirdoes have invaded my bubble.

"I don't know what to do. He's been avoiding me," I answered truthfully. "He keeps going to Tsunade's office for some reason."

"Yeah, I've noticed that, too," Kiba said, deep in thought. I decided to throw away my garbage and slink away.

To my roof again. Hopefully no one will intrude me there.

Unfortunately, an intruder came up again. The same one that trespassed my roof last time. Uzumaki Naruto, his hopeful blue eyes staring at me. "Naruto," I said. Surprised, of course. "What're you doing here?"

"Hoping to meet you," Naruto said, taking a step forward. I took a small step back. If Naruto saw that defensive move, he'll just get depressed again. Luckily, Naruto isn't too observant.

"Why me?" I asked, bringing my gaze to the ground. I really feel awkward talking to him alone. I used to feel okay alone with him, but now…eh…

"…Just because." Naruto shrugged.

The bell rang. Saved by the bell. Thank god!

Like I said about the cell phones. I actually have mine in my pocket right now. Bad move. I'm serious. I figured that since it was last period, I have a slim chance of getting caught using it. I thought I turned it off. Thought. Okay…

Kakashi's class. How irritating. The white-haired twenty-year-old stood in front of our class and said something that didn't seem to make any sense to me.

Naruto was thankfully still in school right now, at his usual seat next to me. I just stared out of the window. More than half of the class passed, and I didn't pay attention to anything but the 'Welcome'. Kakashi mentioned something about meeting our friends from the Rain College pretty soon, but we all knew that already.

Then, it rang.

Everyone immediately turned around in their chairs and gave me a stare. Awkward. _Sasuke, the kid that never gets in trouble! He's gonna get in trouble! Oh, my god! I want his cell phone number!_ _That fuckin' serves him right! Sasuke's such a teacher's pet, Kakashi wouldn't even put him in detention. Holy shit, he actually has a cell phone? _Yep. Everyone's thoughts were channeled through me.

"Sasuke, please step outside," Kakashi said. Am I in trouble? I'm going to miss this call by then. I know that it's Itachi. I can tell. I sheepishly stepped out, and asked if I was in trouble. Kakashi just told me to answer the call first.

"Aniki," I muttered once Kakashi stepped back into the classroom. "You aren't supposed to call me during school hours!"

"I planned on leaving a message," Itachi said rather casually. Dude, I'm in trouble thanks to you! "You really aren't supposed to leave your phone on during school."

"Well I'm sorry that I forget a lot of things!" I said running a hand through my (blackish, because I'm wearing a blue shirt today) hair. "What did you want to say to me?" I added in.

"Um…Nothing. I just called you because I was bored out of hell," he said. "I've finished all the work that I'm supposed to do today, anyway. I don't have Deidara to talk to, because he and his art group went to this art museum. The rest of the group is doing something to. I'm human, I've got boredom."

"Right," I said leaning against the wall. I didn't have my part-time job today. So I was free to talk to him until the principal and the night cleaning guy kicks me out. I saw spiky, blonde hair at the corner of my eye for a split second. It was Naruto. He was probably just leaving the class. Nothing to worry about… "Is that all you wanted to say?"

"That's basically it…Hmm…"

"What 'Hmm'?" I groaned.

"Nothing much. Don't you have to go now? Your hallways are noisy," Itachi just said randomly. He just doesn't want to hang up, does he?

"Okay, I'm just hanging up now," I said with a small smile. Then I added in as quietly as possible, "Love you." I shut the phone before he could reply. I turned and saw the Uzumaki staring at me.

"...W-what?" I said, praying that he didn't hear me say those last two words to Itachi.

"Who was that?" Naruto said, giving me a blank expression. His eyes were fixed on the phone in my hand.

"Just my 'pen pal'. Why?" I said, trying to sound relaxed despite the fact that I always stress up when I'm talking to him alone. I've got to watch where I step. And I think that I just stepped on a landmine.

"…Your pen pal," Naruto nodded very, very slowly. This really isn't like him. But if he keeps this up, it will be like him.

"I've got to talk to Kakashi-sensei," I said rapidly. I'm so lucky for once. I had an excuse to get out and relax, think about what to say to him, predict the unpredictable blonde, and get back out. Then again, the sensei is also unpredictable, because when I opened the door I found the room empty. "Eh…Kakashi-sensei?"

"I guess he left you off the hook." Naruto shrugged.

"Um, well, then what do you want to talk about?" I said. As I mentioned before, I'm not a great actor. If you're the drama teacher and you force us to do a play, I'll just be one of the stage hands or special effects people or something like that.

"Do you have time?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah."

We both got outside. By this time, most of the high school kids went out and scrammed, so the school grounds were quiet. I just stood there behind Naruto, wondering what the hell he wants to say to me.

"Sasuke, will you answer this honestly?" Naruto said, his voice a little strained. I remembered that those were the same words I said to the Smart-ass before I confessed my feelings to him. Guess we both have something in common, because Naruto sounded like he was going through the same thing I was going through at that time.

"Yeah, sure." There was no point in lying. With lying comes with acting. I'm pretty good at making up lies. Not doing them.

"Your friend," Naruto said slowly. "How do you feel about him?"

I knew he was going to say that. Then again, I already promised myself that I wouldn't lie, and I already told him that I wouldn't lie. But if I did lie, everything would be okay, wouldn't it? But then again, I'd have to live that lie 24/7. At least around Naruto. And since he's my best friend, I like to hang around him a lot. So…that's nearly 24/7.

"I…"

"You don't want to answer, do you?"

"Why do you say that?" I replied quickly.

"I already know the answer."

"Then…then let's hear it." As you can see, I'm a nervous wreck right now. I look the same as usual on the outside. Anyone passing or listening in would think that I'm handling the situation perfectly. I'm not so good at acting, but I'm good at hiding some of my emotions. Is that the same thing? Damn. I rant at the wrong times.

"You said that you love him," Naruto forced the words out of his mouth. He had mixed feelings, apparently. His voice sounded angry and frustrated, yet at the same time miserable and desperate.

"I…" No point in lying. I already told myself that. "I do."

"Then…"

"Naruto, I thought I made it clear to you that night," I said, hoping that this would clear things up more for him. "I only think of you as a friend. No, that's wrong. I only think of you as my best friend. Isn't that enough?"

"…No."

"Naruto!"

"…You really don't like me, do you?"

"I like you as my best friend," I said. "Can you please accept it?"

Naruto didn't say anything. He just walked off. A lot of people like to leave me in my dejected state. My heart was pounding. I don't really know why.

* * *

My only means of trying to ignore stuff like this working my butt off on stuff that doesn't need to be worked on. Like my apartment. It's clean. In my mind, all of a sudden, it isn't clean enough. 

After I cleaned it, I picked up and talked to Itachi for about an hour, until he was forced to hang up on me because Pein (this weird guy that seems to be the leader of their weird gang) told him to get off of the phone.

Right when I put the phone down, the phone rang again. I groaned, not even checking the caller ID. I knew it was Itachi, changing his mind and calling me again. But I was too naïve, because it wasn't Itachi.

"Sasuke." Naruto's voice rang in my ear. There was heavy wind in the background. It was windy outside. Why would Uzumaki call me from outside?

"Naruto?" I said.

"Can you please meet me out at the park? Near that small pond where we used to go? Right now?"

"Um…Huh? Why?"

"Can you?"

"I guess so."

"Come on, then." Naruto simply hung up. Why couldn't he just tell me to meet him during school? I decided that there was no way that I could ignore that, so I just pulled on a blue sweatshirt, pulled the hood up, and walked outside.

* * *

The wind calmed down a bit. I stuck my hands in my pockets and walked around aimlessly, wondering where the hell Naruto was. I had a pang of deja-vuu. I just stood there for a second, my head spinning. I tried to remember where I first saw this situation. 

I saw spiky blonde hair at the corner of my eye again. His hair always catches my attention. I turned towards Naruto's direction and I saw him running away from me. Still feeling dizzy, I ran after him.

He stopped near the pond that we were talking about. We used to hang around that place all the time, ever since we met, even while we were rivals. It was always peaceful, there, especially at nighttime. If the moon was full, we'd see it reflect beautifully on the water. It's not like me to say that, but it's been a hobby ever since my parents died to look up at the moon. I think I got that habit from Itachi, because I always stared up at the moon with him. It's been a long time since I've seen this again, and maybe that's why my head is babbling like an idiot.

Naruto broke me out. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said, his usually cheery voice said, this time very solemnly and depressing. The blonde reached into his pocket and took out a familiar object. I was still dizzy. I took a few steps forward, squinting to find out what he had in his hand right now. My mouth became dry. "I'm so sorry."

I swallowed hard. Words came up, and I felt like I've said them before. It's like too many things happened at once, except there wasn't a lot of things happening at once. "What are you sorry for?"

Naruto tilted his head to the right, or at least my right. I spotted a tear run down his marked cheeks. He was crying again. It was so easy to make him cry, but I feel jealous of that ability. I don't know why.

"I can't accept it. I can't."

"Accept what, Naruto?"

My heart spun along with my head. He had a pocket knife in his hand, and it looked deadly sharp. The image of Naruto standing right in front of a pond with a full moon shining brilliantly etched itself in my mind.

He was going to kill himself. Naruto wouldn't even try to kill me, but I never imagined that strong Naruto would kill himself. I shook. I didn't want anyone else to die. It was just me and my bad luck, but the bad luck clung onto Naruto ever since I told Itachi that I loved him.

Naruto seemed obsolete. He was obsolete. He never changes his mind in the middle of something. Never.

It happened too fast. He raised it right to his temple. I ran forward to stop him, but by that time I was too late. I crashed into him, knocking us both down into the freezing depths of the pond. Blood leaked from Naruto's right temple, some still oozing out and floating up to the surface. I stared at Naruto's blurred face, still underwater, without the heart of resurfacing.

* * *

I heard some quiet talking. There were two familiar voices, and one unfamiliar one. My eyes were still begging to close again. 

What the hell just happened?

I forced myself up. I need to know what just happened. Kakashi and Sakura were standing near me, and a nurse as talking to them .They looked surprised that I was up. "Sasuke-kun, get some rest," the nurse urged.

"W-What happened?" I demanded, getting pushed down gently by Kakashi.

The sensei and the pink haired girl exchanged glances, and then Kakashi muttered, "Naruto committed suicide." The nurse yelled at Kakashi, saying that I'm in shock and that he shouldn't force such things into my mind, but then I remembered what happened last night. I had a dream about it. Why couldn't I stop it, then?

Because I'm an idiot.

My eyes closed, and I heard Kakashi say too casually for my tastes, "Oh, look, he fainted again."

* * *

I came to later on in the day. There were no visitors, but it was early in the morning and it was raining very heavily. 

The images of Naruto that was etched into my mind came back to me, and I just forced the pillow onto my face and let out a helpless scream. I don't want to remember that idiot. Not now.

The nurse came in, hearing my muffled scream. She asked what was wrong.

"How the hell did I get from there to here?" I muttered. Couldn't they have saved Naruto if they saved me?

"Your friend, Sakura-chan, found both of you floating in that pond," the nurse said worriedly. She obviously liked hiding the important things from her patients, like why they're in the hospital and how they got in the hospital. Obviously someone told her to tell me everything that she knew about that night. "You just fainted."

Well of course I'd faint. My biggest fear is the loss of someone dying. My biggest fear is seeing one of the people closest to me die. My biggest fear is knowing that someone close to me died and that I could've prevented it.

"And…what about Naruto?" I really didn't want to ask. I just really wanted to know.

"His parents already arranged a wake and a funeral," the nurse replied.

"When can I get out?"

"…You have no parents? No family?"

I hate answering that question. "No. I can pay for the hospital bill. Can I get out now? I'm completely fine."

"…"

* * *

The first thing that I did after I got out was get a change of clothes. Then I went to Naruto's house. I needed to talk to his parents right away, and to explain to them why he did what he did. They deserve to know, after all. 

I rang the door bell to that bright orange house, hoping to god that they wouldn't yell at me for not stopping him from doing…that. To my utter and complete surprise, the principal Tsunade answered the door. I heard loud sobbing. And some 'There, there's.'

"Um, Tsunade-sensei," I said slowly. She was seriously one of the last people I wanted to talk to right now. "May I please speak to Naruto's parents?" I'm trying to act like the perfect little visiting person.

Tsunade glanced over her shoulder, and I saw Minato give me a weak smile. Kushina was crying uncontrollably on his shoulder. It was obvious why. That woman barely cried, though. Only a big shocker like this would break her down.

I walked in slowly, taking off my shoes. "Um…Minato-san Kushina-san," I said, still trying to choose my words carefully. "I have to tell you something about…Naruto." I tried to act a little less stressed. But I was still shocked, too.

"Alright," Minato nodded. He calmed his wife down after a while, and then turned back to me. "Do you mind if Tsunade-san listens in, too? She's very close to Naruto." I just gave her a small glance and nodded.

"Well, do you know why Naruto…um…"

"We get your point," Minato said helpfully, giving Kushina another apprehensive look. "Not really. Tsunade said something about Naruto being depressed this year, but he refused to tell her what was going on."

"I know what's going on. I'm sorry I didn't tell you this before but…" I paused. "You know that project that we're doing? The one that involves us sending and receiving letters from college students at the Rain College? It really all started with that." Of course Tsunade nodded knowingly. I just continued. "When I told Naruto that things were working out pretty well between me and the person I was writing to, Naruto got a little quieter. He didn't go to school for a while, and everyone said that he…" This is awkward. I'm telling a deceased boy's parents that he died because he loved me and I couldn't return his feelings. Why couldn't I just say that? Oh well. I already got into a full description. "Everyone said that he liked me. A lot." The adults stared at me for a while, but I think that they get my point. "It continued on. After a while I just told Naruto that I only think of him as my best friend, nothing more. He seemed okay with that, until the Summer Dance, when I went with him. Naruto started to think that he had a chance with me. He became depressed again after a while. Just the morning when he… you know… I told him again that I only thought of him as a friend."

"…I understand," Kushina was the first to speak. At least she didn't scream for me to get out or something. "I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," I quickly replied. "I'm sorry for barging in, too."

"Naruto's wake is actually tonight. The funeral's at Saturday. Can you make it?" Minato asked.

"Yes."

I left with Tsunade. I actually brought up the guts to ask her something. "Um…Naruto kept going to your office during school. You don't have to answer me, but can you tell me why?" I'm seriously acting like an idiot right now.

"You could say that I was sort of like his doctor, therapist, or something. I kept trying to make him open up to me, but he refused to, despite how many times he came to my office by his on free will."

Wow. She actually answered. I've got answers, though. But these answers don't mean anything. Because the subject is gone. Naruto has left the building. And he's probably in a better place right now.

* * *

At Naruto's funeral, basically everyone Naruto knew was filling up the pews. And that was a lot of people. I sat near Kakashi and the rest of the gang, pulling my black jacket around me. The church was so cold. The sun was shining so perfectly outside, though. It was sort of fitting. Naruto was always that bright person. 

My heart and head were still spinning, even though they were slowing down. If you want a stinking simile, they were as if both Gai and Lee put their efforts into spinning the Wheel of Fortune, and both of their brawn made it spin for days on end. I was hoping that it would eventually land on 'Move Time Back' or 'Peace of Mind' or something like that.

I didn't pay attention to the mass at all. My own memories of the Uzumaki kid that made my life so much better-off just came up in a slight blur. It was clear enough for me to understand.

"_Um, Sasuke?" The blonde stood at the doorway leading back down into the school. He stood facing me._

"_Huh? Naruto? What're you doing up here?" I turned around, a little mad that my little haven was intruded by someone. I wanted to yell, 'Go away', but right now; I don't have the heart to._

"_I was just wondering if you'll go to the dance with me," Naruto said, his bright eyes shining with hopefulness._

"…_I told you, I don't think of you like that," I tried to sound gentle and firm at the same time. Tried to._

"_I don't mean anything like that! I just…Um…"_

_I walked up to him. "Naruto…Fine. I'll go with you."_

I miss that blonde's happy face. Basically the last time we ever saw his happy face was at the vacation we had over the summer. The priest was in the middle of the homily I already dubbed 'Long and Boring'.

_Loud music was playing in the distance, and it was sunset. Yeah. It's at the dance. Everyone was dancing to songs but I somehow got myself into a situation in which my best friend and I are alone, walking on a beach, during sunset. How awkward. Naruto must be happy._

"_We shouldn't go too far," I muttered after an unbearably long silence._

"_Doesn't matter," Naruto replied, smiling. He's happy, alright. "I know this beach well, so you don't have to worry."_

"_I'm not worried about both of us; I'm worried about those crazy chaperones that'll kill themselves, or rather, us, if we go too far," I said sternly. Being alone with him in a place like this is not a thing that I want. _

"_Sasuke, can…Will you go out with me? Just one more try, please?" Those words smacked me in the face. _

"…_No, Naruto," I replied. The hesitation was placed there because I didn't want to hurt his feelings again. "I only think of you as a friend. You said it was okay, remember?" Oh, please let him remember._

"_Yeah, I know. I just said that so that you wouldn't feel disappointed…"_

_I'm disappointed in you right now, Uzumaki. That's what I thought. I didn't say anything. I couldn't help but see that Uzumaki's blue eyes lowered down. He was going into the depressed state, and again, it's my fault. "Naruto," I said simply, grabbing his attention. Naruto looked up and I kissed him. I knew that he was surprised yet soaring inside. My mind was screaming of shock, but my body was rebellious again. Naruto reacted quickly, but I pulled away quickly, too. I didn't want it to get too far._

"_Just friends."_

"_Then what was that for?" Naruto demanded. _

"…_To make you feel better." The utter truth. "Come on, we're already too far." I turned and walked back towards the dance, hoping that that was the right move._

"Sasuke, it's rude to fall asleep," Kakashi's voice said.

"Huh? No, I'm not sleeping," I muttered, rubbing my eye slowly. Kakashi smiled at me under his mask.

"It's hard for you, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Sasuke, I don't really know what went on between you and Naruto, but the only thing we can do right now is to remember him," Kakashi said. "What's done is done. And it's not your fault." I had a strong feeling that he knew what went on. I pushed that aside.

It was at Konoha Cemetery. Why the hell is everything in Konoha named Konoha 'blank'? These guys have no imagination.

I just watched glumly as they lowered Naruto's body down into the cold ground. I pulled the jacket closer around me. The sun was shining, but it was as windy as the night _it _happened.

Everyone left after a long while. I stood there with Kakashi, Minato, and sobbing Kushina and Sakura. They were going to put a gravestone there soon.

_The only thing I can do is remember him._

* * *

…Um…All I can say to you is…Review? Please? Glad you enjoyed. Next chapter might be the last. I'll decide that later. Might, so keep your hopes up that I'll have some excellent ranting for Sasuke tomorrow. 

The avenger and you groan. Oh well. Hope you enjoyed!!!


	14. From Anonymous

100 reviews?! Now I officially love you all! I'm so surprised at myself, too. This is over 50,000 words long. A novelette!

Okay, so that really wasn't Naruto-like in the last chapter...Just to make things more dramatic, I suppose. THIS ISN'T THE LAST CHAPTER! So I finally cleared that out. Anyway, enjoy.

**Chapter Fourteen: From Anonymous**

I'm going to try and stop thinking of the past at the beginning of each day. It just gets a little irritating after a while. The past is the past, and eventually I'm going to run out of things to think about. We're all too limited.

Which only makes me wonder, if we weren't that _limited_, what would this world be like? I'm thinking too much into stuff. Man. I sound weird.

* * *

Tomorrow was it. Today was the second to last day of school, and of course there was a lot of confusion. No teacher or student wanted to do any work, so half the time the teachers just say to hang around but don't be too chaotic. Basically it.

On the last day of school, things were planned to go a little different, because of the assignment that we all had with the Rain College. We're all going to go to our morning classes, but in the afternoon we'll meet the people that we're writing to. Not all of the college students participating will go, of course. Only a few that can. This is actually just a few of them, which just happens to include Itachi and his gang who just happen to be paired up with my friends. Except for Naruto, of course.

Everyone's dealing with the Naruto problem together. We're all turning back to normal slowly, but it's going to take longer than usual because Naruto's the one who's supposed to cheer us up and make everything back to normal again. That's the problem with death. Once it's done, it's done. Same with a lot of things, except I personally think death is the one thing you can't change. I told Itachi about Naruto. He tried his best to comfort me, but I don't think that he's the King of Comfort. He added in that Deidara was also a little distressed, but Deidara's just as happy as Naruto (used to be).

**Lunch Topic: **OMG! LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! OMG!

Yeah, that's what the girls said, not me.

Of course, everyone was ultra excited about meeting their friend. I was just excited about seeing them. Difference. In the end, I predicted that some of them might end up hating one another despite how well they got along with each other while writing letters. That just shows that they have the ability to get along, but don't want to get along because of something physical. By physical, I mean physical looks.

I'm talking really weirdly lately…Bleh.

Ino didn't really have much to talk about. We were all just screaming we're excited and stuff. So yeah.

Remember that thing about the phones? Seems they're only allowed at the cafeteria, where the teacher supervising us could care less about what we're doing. So when my cell phone rang, it just so happened that everyone's eyes snapped towards me again.

"What?" I said to everyone else. I grabbed my phone. "Hello?"

"Oh, bad time?" Itachi said. I heard some 'Yeahs' in the background, but I ignored them.

"Buy a clock, you bastard. You'll get me detention on the penultimate day of school," I muttered. Everyone was staring at me curiously. It was quiet at our table. They were listening into my conversation. I gave everyone an annoyed look.

"Even if you get detention, I'm still coming," the Smart-ass replied. "I do have a watch and a clock. I think I just forgot to turn it back the last day-light savings time. Was that a long time ago? Huh."

"Then how the hell are you always on time?"

"Kisame's my watch."

"Once he's gone I don't know what you'll do," I muttered, keeping my eyes on Ino especially. I think she was kyaaing again. Fan girls. Ugh. "Wait a sec." I turned to everyone else. "Go back to eating. Scream if you want to, I've got nothing you want to hear," I snapped. Everyone just blinked, and then turned reluctantly away. Okay. At least I got them to stop listening to my conversation. I mean, if I left the cafeteria I will get detention. I continued on, dropping my voice slightly. "Are you still moving? Back to Konoha?" I forgot to ask him until now.

"I have to make preparations, Sasuke. It's not as easy as you think," Itachi said. "I'll move as soon as I can, but I doubt it'd be tomorrow. I need a job and everything."

"I have an apartment," I tried. Ino glanced at me for one second after she heard the word 'apartment'. She's getting the wrong idea. Ino kyaaed silently. She's definitely getting the wrong idea.

"…Are you implying that you want me to sleep with you?"

"W-what the? No!" I yelled loudly. A lot of people, not only at the Konoha Twelve Table, turned their heads towards me. Gai, who was supposed to be watching us (and confiscating every cell phone he sees), just blinked at me, shrugged, and went back to eating a huge sub.

Itachi stayed silent until he heard noise again. I hate it when there's a large silence and everyone's just plain old staring at you. The Smart-ass let out a laugh. "I'm just joking, okay? You take a lot of things too seriously. Implying. Imply. To indicate or suggest without being explicitly stated…"

"Shut up," I whispered.

"Oh, sorry. It was just a joke, okay? Okay."

"You seriously have a weird sense of humor."

"You're one to talk."

"Shut up," I groaned again.

"Hey, I'm just calling you because I _dearly_ miss your voice," Itachi said.

"…Was that sarcasm?"

"To be honest, not really."

"Gross. I've got to go. Class is going to start, soon," I said.

"Okay. Can't wait. We're already on our way to your little high school… Mata ne…" Itachi hung up. I sighed. That Smart-ass is so irritating.

* * *

Guess what I did today? I told my boss straight on that I'm quitting my part-time job. It wasn't worth it. Orochimaru was giving me more of an eye lately. And it's irritating.

I'm going to work at Applebee's. At least I know that that place is a lot safer that my last restaurant. And at least I don't have to wear a cheesy outfit. I remember for Halloween the boss forced me into a maid's outfit…No comments.

But once I got home, I received a letter from Itachi.

_Foolish Little Brother._

_There's no point in writing back, because I just sent this to you for fun. It's probably the last__letter that I'll send to you, so I'm just savoring the moment. I can't believe I'm actually __going to miss doing this._

_Such a short letter. What a waste of paper. _

_From Anonymous_

_P.S. I'm still using Anonymous because it just brings back memories. And just because I like __the word anonymous. _

I sort of agree with him. I'll miss writing to him like this.

* * *

The day flew by quickly. It was all because of the anticipation. I was only excited in seeing my brother again, and in seeing Sakura's surprised face when she finds out who she's stuck with.

We had an unusually silent lunch. I have no idea why.

And it was the glorious afternoon. We all sat outside, most of the females huddled up in groups and whispering excitedly, most of the males just staring straight ahead. In the idiot's minds, they're minds are going _'Duuuuuuh'_. Right now, I'm just thinking hard. I don't remember what I was thinking about, though.

I saw a group of older guys appear out of no where. I couldn't see them to clearly, and from here I didn't recognize any of them. They must be at the back. A lot of the high school kids noticed them, and they all sat up, their eyes scanning them. I was just looking for maybe the loudest person there, or a guy with long hair pulled back.

Tsunade walked over with a smile, shook hands with the guy that looked like he was in charge, and then started announcing the pairs. They all gave us a number, and mine was 107.

"Pair 105, Haruno Sakura and Hoshigaki Kisame," Tsunade announced.

"Good luck," Ino whispered to Sakura. Sakura gulped and walked over to the stage. I held back laughter when I saw the blonde Deidara push the tall Kisame out of the crowd. I saw Sakura die ten times inside.

"Pair 106, Yamanaka Ino and Zetsu," Tsunade said. She was smirking, too.

Sakura mouthed to Ino, "This is horrible! Good luck to you, Ino-pig!" She was irritable. Wait till she sees what Ino has.

Mr. Plant man. I heard Deidara crack up somewhere.

"You're up next," Kiba said, giving me a grin. I held back my smile.

"Pair 108, Aburame Shino, and Kakuzu."

"What the hell?" Kiba groaned. "Poor you."

I just blinked and resisted the temptation to go up there and strangle Tsunade. I fingered my cell phone and watched as Kakuzu asked Shino for money.

"Pair 110, Inuzuka Kiba and Pein," Tsunade declared again. Kiba stood up and walked over to that guy that had a lot of piercing on his face that it scared me a little. He resembled Naruto in a very odd way. Of course, Naruto's number was 109, and Tsunade just skipped over that.

"Pair 111, Hyuuga Hinata and Akasuna no Sasori." Tsunade apparently didn't like the nickname Akasuna no Sasori. Shy Hinata approached the red headed, puppet crazed college student.

"Pair 112, TenTen and Konan." Tsunade jus plain old said. Tomboyish TenTen just ran over excitedly. There was that blue haired girl with a flower nestled in her hair. She had a few piercing, but not as much as Pein.

"Pair 113, Rock Lee and Hidan." Lee hurriedly dashed over to the Fabio-looking guy that smelled of incense.

I groaned, tired of waiting, and picked up my cell phone. "Aniki, are you here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"They skipped us! Aren't you in Pair 107?" I demanded, pouting a little.

"I know."

"Where are you?"

"Right behind Deidara."

I hung up on him and stood up, and ran over to Deidara. There he was, Uchiha Itachi, just casually leaning against a tree and talking to Deidara. "Oh, so this is Sasuke, yeah," Deidara exclaimed, giving me a hug before I could give Itachi a hug.

"Um, yeah, Deidara, go away," Itachi said, politely yet impolitely at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah." Originally, there was supposed to be only three yeahs.

I waited until Deidara disappeared over in the crowd. I saw him beginning to pick on Sakura and Ino. The crowd was slowly disappearing, and there was barely anyone there except for a few teachers talking. I turned to Itachi. "Aniki…"

"Hm?"

I slapped him good and hard.

"What the hell was that for?"

"For leaving me!"

"I said I was sorry!"

I pouted, and then grabbed his collar and kissed him. Itachi reacted to that movement immediately, forcing me up against the tree and deepening the kiss. He slipped his tongue into my mouth, and he let my arms wrap around his neck. Yeah, that was one of the ultimate things that I've been waiting for all my life. Itachi broke the kiss suddenly, now just resting his forehead against mine.

"Is that your way of saying 'I hate you' or 'I forgive you'?" Itachi whispered into my ear. I hate it when he does that, though. It sends shivers down my spine, like he's the bad guy trying to scare the scared guy to death in the movies.

"…It's my way of saying 'Stay with me'," I muttered. "W-Why did they skip us, anyway?"

"…Some people in Konoha don't really want me around. That includes Tsunade."

"What?"

"Don't worry about it. Come on, I can spend a week here with you. It's only a week, so we shouldn't waste time.

"Mm. Whatever you say," I replied, giving him a smile. "Um, but where are you going to stay for the week?"

"I could always go to a hotel or something," Itachi shrugged, slowly putting his arm around my waist.

"…Yeah, but," I muttered. "You can stay with me, at my apartment. As long as you don't mess up the place I'm fine with it." I remembered all the way back in the day when Itachi was Mr. Perfect. The only problem with him was housework. The first time he tried doing the laundry the classic bubble flood happened. I had to get him out because Mother was out shopping for groceries and Father just stood there in complete shock that his Mr. Perfect son failed to do something.

"Are you saying that you still think I suck at housework?" Itachi said, giving me a small frown. "I've lived alone for a while after I left, you know. I'm not as professionalas you are at being a _maid_ but I can manage."

"…I'm not a maid," I retorted.

"Yeah, but you'd look cute wearing a maid's outfit." The hand that was on my waist nearly slipped down until I slapped his hand.

"Pervert. You really are like Kakashi-sensei," I muttered.

Itachi kissed my unruly hair. "Only when it comes to you."

"You're trying to be sweet." Trying.

"Is it working?"

"I don't like perverts."

"Huh. I kind of figured that you wouldn't mind since I found you working in a restaurant full of perverts. Guess I was wrong and you're just an idiot for not quitting."

"I just did! Yesterday. I got a new job at a different restaurant."

"Well, good for you," Itachi gave me another smile. I guess he was just trying his best to be innocent. He's the exact opposite of innocent, if you ask me.

"Guess we have a lot to catch up on," I noted after a short moment of silence. We were talking more than I thought we would. "You've been gone for so long. I'm still so surprised that you're here with me right now."

"You're always the sentimental kid."

"Since when was I sentimental?" I pouted.

"Since ever. Come on, I've been dying to eat at this bakery ever since," Itachi smiled a little. I pouted more. "What? It's on me. Call it a date."

I shrugged (and concealed a small smile on the word date), and followed him into the bakery. I think a lot of heads turned for some reason. The man who owned the bakery stared at Itachi in shock. The older Uchiha slipped his hand away from my waist quickly.

"Itachi-kun!" The baker guy said, giving him a huge smile. Seeing the people's reactions to him, you might think that Itachi was a very social person. He's not. Fugaku just bragged about him a lot. And he accidentally brings a lot of attention to himself. The girls turn their heads towards him; causing the guys they're with to glare at him. Old people adore him because of how much Fugaku and Mikoto talk about him. Younger kids are scared of him – Itachi told me that the only little kid he really liked was me. Adults just plain out know him, because he was an adult person. He only really talked to adults, and kids his age just stared. Anyway, back to the baker. "It's been such a long time! Why did you disappear all of a sudden?"

"Don't worry about it," Itachi just muttered. He was acting a bit more like the Itachi I knew now. Why'd he change so suddenly? "It's nothing."

"Here, I'll get you something on the house."

"No, its fine."

"No, I insist!"

"…" Itachi ran a hand through his hair. Adults and their insisting. "Fine, fine." He finally turned his attention back to me. "What do you want, Sasu-chan?" He was back to his other self, the self that he only shows around me. It just makes me feel special for once. There's a part of him that only I can see.

* * *

Call me childish. I still like the hot chocolate. Itachi was smiling at me with that sly smile that I love and hate. I saw three girls whispering to each other while staring at the both of us. I recognized them as seniors from my school. I gave them a small glare when Itachi wasn't looking. I knew that they were paying more attention to Itachi than me, but I didn't mind. I just meant that as a 'Back off' glare. Very feminine-like of me. I can't stop myself from acting like a girl sometimes.

"Okay, you start," Itachi said.

"Start what?"

"We have a lot to catch up on." He gave me that sly smile again.

"…I'm basically the same."

"The Sasuke I knew many years ago was a pacifist, he had these huge eyes, he was pretty shy, he always asked for attention, and he always got attention," Itachi said right after the word same was spoken.

"I didn't get attention," I retorted again.

"Oh, really?" Itachi muttered, taking a sip out of the iced latte. "I noticed a lot of people watching you. You were so _adorable_ back then."

"I'm not a little kid anymore."

"And yet it's natural for a little kid to mature. The horrors of aging," Itachi muttered. It was almost like he was talking to himself in a very odd way.

I killed time. I blew on the hot drink violently. I hate it when they give me burning hot drinks. Even if they put a large sign on it that says 'CAUTION: Hot', you still try to take a drink out of it. Then you keep blowing. Still not safe. You wait for at least thirty minutes, and you drink it, and you find out that it's too cold for your taste. Another hot chocolate gone to waste.

"…Um, my favorite color is the same," I said, hoping that it would break the moment of silence.

"I kind of figured that," Itachi pointed his finger at the blue shirt I was wearing.

"Why don't you ask a question and I'll answer. Kind of like the interrogating thing. I won't stand for some questions, though."

"Fine, fine. To be honest, I don't know what to ask," Itachi replied. "Besides, I think you have more questions than answers for me."

I paused for a second. "That's true." I took a deep breath and took a sip of the hot chocolate. The hot chocolate was hot. All I could say. I swallowed it down quickly, sticking my tongue out. Itachi was holding back a little laughter.

"You're still _so _cute," Itachi smirked. He leaned forward and gave me a brief kiss, his tongue gently caressed mine, and I let out a small moan. He backed off right when I made that noise.

"I'm not cute," I protested. "Well…I asked last time who where the two people you truly loved. You didn't answer. You probably don't want to answer now, and you don't have to, but can you answer that question now?"

"First person I truly loved was Shisui-san," Itachi said, his eyes fixed on me. I couldn't help but stare back. "Second person I truly love is you." I noticed the different tenses, and I couldn't help but blush a little. Just a little. "You really are cute," Itachi added.

I held back the temptation to pour the burning hot chocolate on him.

"Um, so you were really like that to Shisui-san?" I asked nervously. This wasn't really something I wanted to talk about. More like something I wanted to know.

"…I guess I was. You know how it is. If Father and Mother know how we are right now, wouldn't they be surprised? So of course we had to keep it a secret…It was just a little bizarre for me, that's all."

"What do you mean bizarre?"

"I don't know."

"You're so weird."

"You want me to call you cute again?"

I smiled, and then remembered something. "Wait, are you still going into a hotel or something? I can still let you stay at my apartment."

Itachi shrugged. "Fine, as long as I don't have to pay rent."

"You don't."

"Okay, then." Itachi stared at me for a long while.

"Well, back to the question asking," I continued on quickly. "Um…Why did you leave, anyway?" Another thing that I want to know yet I don't want to talk about.

"Isn't it obvious by now?"

"No. Call me an idiot, I don't care, just tell me," I said quickly.

"You said that you hated me," Itachi answered quietly. I blinked, remembering clearly. How embarrassing, forgetting that fact. No wonder he was sensitive to people saying that they hate him.

"You know that I take that back." This is me, attempting to try and make him feel better.

"I know," Itachi smiled a little weakly.

"Sorry about bringing this up."

Itachi stayed silent for a while. I shifted a little, feeling very, very stupid. Of course I'd hurt his feelings real easily. Just because I can't find out the obvious. I think too much into things, I guess. Now don't know what to say to start up our conversation.

Itachi just shrugged after a while. "Then, I'll just say that I'm sorry for being a total freak."

"Huh?" I was drinking the hot chocolate, and it turned out to be just alright. I put the cup down. "You're not a freak at all."

"…Then a Sadistic Smart-ass," Itachi pressed on.

"You're really not all that sadistic."

"I can be when I want to."

"Why don't you want to now?"

"Because I'm talking to you," the Smart-ass gave me a smile. Oh, sure. He's (sort of) a gentleman, too. "And I guess that'd be rude." Feh. If he's talking chivalry, does he bunch me up with the girls and the damsels in distress? He just happened to read my mind. "You really are feminine sometimes, Sasuke."

"What?" I'm highly offended.

"Maybe just a tomboyish girl, I suppose," Itachi was taking this subject very lightly.

"I'm not, and can we just drop the subject?"

"Hm. Whatever you say," he leaned back in his char, crossing his legs and arms. Guys can't usually cross their legs. Naruto has difficulty with it, so does Kiba and some of the other guys. I don't see why they can't. Sakura said that only the best guys can cross their legs. Right.

"Do you know how our parents died?" the question slipped out after I stared into his eyes for too long. I swear, they're hypnotizing. He's got eyelashes like a girl, but they're a lot more perfect than a female's. When I was young, I kept thinking that his eyes were red. Like the bad guys in the movie. That's why I was a little scared of him back then. I know better than that, now. The only way he'll have red eyes if he has contacts on or if he hasn't slept in days or something like that.

Itachi just stared right back into my eyes. He blinked slowly. I remembered that he did that when he was told Shisui died. Maybe that guy just does that whenever someone mentions a family member's death or something. Itachi is still a mystery. I'm still trying to read him. "Sasuke, when I came in…they were dead," Itachi said, his eyes narrow. "The police couldn't find anything. You know that."

"Y-yeah." Can't shake off that feeling. I can't shake off that feeling that he knows something. About my parent's death. About Shisui's death. So I dared to ask him more. "What about Shisui?"

"You know that he committed suicide," Itachi's voice became sharp and cold. I think that I should stop. I finished up my hot chocolate by then. Itachi's cold self disappeared so quickly that you wouldn't even know it existed. "Well, then, I guess I'm staying at your place. Let's go, Sasu-chan."

"Don't call me that," I snapped back, praying that he wouldn't change back into his scary self.

* * *

My apartment was in sight. A flash of spiky, blonde hair reached the corner of my eye again. I turned quickly (hoping for Naruto) just to see Minato. "Minato-san," I nodded at his direction, making some distance between me and Itachi before he noticed that we were too close.

"Uchiha Itachi," Minato said, completely ignoring me. He doesn't usually do that, not unless he's doing his job. Did I mention that he's a policeman? "Surprised to see you again."

"Uzumaki Minato-san." Itachi just nodded in the same manner as I did. His eyes were narrowed again. I stood in-between them now. Almost like Sakura used to when Naruto and I were both eternal rivals who always fought. "Actually, I'm glad I'm back."

"Aniki…Minato-san?" I tried to break their hard glares. Now I officially know how Sakura felt.

"Really? I'm just astounded that you have the nerve to come back."

"It's for my little brother," Itachi kept his eyes on the older Uzumaki. I really didn't want to be mentioned in this, but that Itachi just does whatever he wants to do. "Minato-san, it'd be kind of you to just leave us alone."

"…I'm just doing my job."

"What, were you assigned to follow me wherever I go?" the Smart-ass walked over to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Doesn't matter. You can follow me if you want to; just don't get in my way."

Minato turned his blue-eyed gaze to me. "Sasuke-kun, you shouldn't stay with him."

"Why?" I asked, feeling Itachi's warm hand tighten on my shoulder. Itachi was still glaring hard at Minato. "What will he do?"

"…Your brother apparently hasn't told you anything," Minato answered after a short pause. "There's no point in hiding anything now. Your brother-"

"Let's go, Sasuke," Itachi nearly wheeled me away, but I kept my feet planted on the ground. "Sasuke, come on." My brother gave me an almost pleading look. I wanted to move for his sake, but the idea of learning the truth just kept me there. "Sasuke." Itachi's stern voice.

Minato took that chance to continue on. "Your brother killed your parents."

* * *

We all knew that was true, wasn't it? Oh, but Sasuke didn't. Oooooh! Okay, next chapter is the last one, so…enjoy while it all lasts! If possible, tell any other ItaSasu fans about this fic, okays? Hope you enjoyed, and review please! 


	15. Last Letter

I never thought this day would come. It's 150 pages on Microsoft Word. I'm seriously going to cry because this is the last part of the story!!! All I can say is enjoy and I hope you enjoyed the entire thing!

**Chapter Fifteen: Last Letter**

…Ever since that day, I've been scared of blood. Ever since that day, I've been scared of losing something. It doesn't matter what I lose. You can call me what you want. I just don't want to lose anything.

Most of all, I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose my older brother.

* * *

"Your brother killed your parents," Minato stated ever-so seriously. So seriously that I hate it. My heart beat against my chest and said 'It was too good to be true', and my brain laughed at me and said, 'I told you so.'

"Sasuke…" Itachi's grip on me loosened and he nearly pulled away from me. I just stood there, staring at the space between the bright blue eyes and the solemn dark eyes.

"Is it true?" That was all I could choke out. My head was spinning again as I thought of all of the facts that might support it. It's true that Itachi came into the house before I did. If he was good enough he could have killed them. The police already said that their throats were slit. Anyone can do that in a second, especially my fast brother. There was no blood or knife in his hands, though. He might have had a pocket knife, but the police checked on him a little bit. Of course they were suspicious of the thirteen-year old. The police didn't find any evidence that Itachi killed them. Itachi claimed that he didn't. The police even stopped trying to find the killer many years later. What makes them think that he killed them now?

Itachi stayed silent for a long while. Minato answered. "I know that this is a shock to you, Sasuke-kun, but it's the truth. We knew it ever since, but he begged us to let him stay with you. Only a few people know of his crime. He is not completely acquitted. Your brother is only alive now because of the 'remorse' he has, and because of his feelings towards you. He should actually have a death sentence.

"I didn't ask you!" I yelled, picking up my heavy feet and turning to face Itachi. "I'm asking you. Is it true?"

"…Yes."

"Then why?"

Minato cut in again. "We don't know. He refused to tell us anything."

"Stay out of this!" I yelled at Minato. I turned to my brother. "Why did you kill them?"

"I can't say," Itachi answered, his voice low and quiet. He refused to look me in the eye. That's a shocker for me. He always stares people right in the eye, but now…

"Why? Why can't you say anything? Why did you hide the truth from me?" I felt something wet reach my eyes. Oh, no. I haven't cried in a long time. I don't want to start now. Then why can't I stop?

"I wanted to be with you."

"Sasuke-kun, just come with me," Minato butt in again. Other than his looks, I suppose that's one of the only aspects that he has in common with Naruto. Sticking his nose into other people's business.

I ignored him. "So…so that's why Tsunade refused to say your name back then. Am I right?" I asked, my voice a little strained. My knees felt weak, and my feet were heavy. My head was spinning, and my hands went numb. My mouth was dry, and my heart was wasted.

"That's right." Itachi suddenly seemed so serious about this. His eyes were narrowed, but he still refused to look at me directly.

"Then what about Shisui?" I felt like I was going to faint.

"While we were investigating on Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto's death, we found that Itachi had killed Shisui. He made it seem like a suicide, though," the Uzumaki spoke again. I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to tell him to shut up. I wanted to tell him that thanks to him my life is ruined.

"Is _that _true?"

"…Yes."

"Why him, too, then?"

"He got in the way." Right at that moment, I really felt like I was going to faint. Minato obviously noticed that I was getting dizzy, so he spoke.

"Uchiha Itachi, I'm going to have to ask you to back away from your younger brother." That was a policeman voice, alright. I clutched my head and felt everything go black. The hands of Uzumaki Minato settled me on a bench. Unfortunately for me, I could still hear things clearly.

"I've already backed away." the Smart-ass sounded a little hurt. Only something I could really hear, though.

"Good. Leave. Go back to the Rain Country."

"And never come back? Fine. It…doesn't matter anymore."

I mumbled a few things. I meant to say, 'Don't go'. Everything came out jumbled. I heard footsteps walking away. They were Itachi's. I completely blacked out once I couldn't hear anything more from my Smart-ass.

* * *

I awoke from a dreamless sleep. I was apparently in Naruto's old bedroom. Kushina was sitting beside me, an extremely worried look on her face. She smiled (a smile much like Naruto's) when she noticed I was awake.Before she could say the usual 'Oh, you're awake', I said, "Ugh. My head hurts…" 

Then she said, "Oh, you're awake. Here." She handed me a glass of water as I sat up. Naruto's bed was comfy. Probably because no one has slept in it for days. Another pang of depression. It would be a lot better if they made me sleep on the couch and not in Naruto's old bed. It would've saved me a lot of depression and reminiscing.

I slowly took a sip of the ice cold water. "…Where's my brother?" The dreaded question.

A slight pause. "He went back." The dreaded answer.

"You mean back to the Rain Country?" I hoped that she meant back to someplace in Konoha. Kushina just nodded. She knew that this was hard for me. At least she understands me a little more than Minato does.

Minato just walked right in at the moment. He had an anxious look on his face. I just glared. "Sasuke-kun, I'm sorry," Minato immediately said. "It's just that I'm scared for you."

"…Right. Scared for me." I muttered in sarcasm. Kushina just gave both of us stern glances.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm just trying to protect you." I took a chance and glanced up at his brilliant blue eyes that reminded me so much of Naruto. Naruto only acted like his father when during serious times like this. Minato had true worry on his face, something that I doubt my father would ever have for me. "I'm sorry for breaking your bond with your brother, but eventually you would find out."

"…That's true, but…" I clenched my fist. "Look, I just need to think this over. Its okay, Minato-san. But who else knows?"

"Tsunade, Kakashi, and a few other adults that you probably don't know about," Kushina answered. "You should stay here for the day."

"I've got to go home," I just replied, standing up and pulling on my jacket which was lying on a chair. I nodded again at both of them, and left. I know their house as well as I know my apartment, and it feels like this place is my home. It might as well be. For now.

* * *

It just had to start raining outside. I ran into my apartment dripping wet, and sort of gasping for breath since I ran once the rain started. Oh, yeah, I slipped on my damp shoelace and into a pile of mud. Fantastic.

I stomped into the bathroom grudgingly and took a bath, came out and dressed in sweatpants and a really baggy shirt. No point. I was going to stay home and just think, think, think and think.

I stared at the ceiling, nothing great coming to mind. So now I know that Itachi killed them, including Shisui, and yet stayed and took care of me. Itachi points so far: 3-1. Three is Shisui, Mikoto, and Fugaku. And the one is for the effort he took to take care of me all those years. Nice, Aniki.

Then he leaves. 4-1.

Then he comes back and…uhm…yeah. 4-2. He's getting there. A little.

He's considering staying at Konoha again, even though the possibility he really will move back is really low. 4-3. And adding in the fact that he probably won't move back. 5-3. Geez.

The fact that he didn't tell me up until now. 6-3.

The fact that he actually left me again. 7-3.

One of the reasons the police let him live was because of his 'feelings for me', as Minato said. I guess that's a good thing. 7-4.

The fact that I probably will never see him ever again in my life. 100-4.

Right at that moment I almost wanted to give up and hate him forever. That would be the easy thing to do. But I just had one more thing to add to this.

The fact that I'll never forget him and that I most likely always love him like this. 100-100.

Oh, shoot. I dub thee, Uchiha Sasuke, the most indecisive person in the universe. I buried my face in a pillow, still wondering what the hell I'm really supposed to do. It all just had to start with the letters, didn't it? It all just had to start with the letters and end like this.

…

…

Okay, maybe _that _might work. I'm not so indecisive after all.

* * *

_To, the Sadistic Smart-ass_

_Please don't rip this up!_

_This is probably the last letter I'll ever send to you. Possibly. I just felt that it's fitting to say a few things like this again. It started this way, why not end it this way? Damn feelings of closure. _

_I don't even know how to write this, anymore. My hands are shaking, my head is still slightly spinning, and you can say that I've got writer's block. This isn't the right situation for that, but still, I'm writing. And I'm still hoping that you'll write back. Hoping._

_First, I have to admit I'm still shocked and surprised that all of my memories weren't pushed out because of trauma. Actually, it would be dramatic if I actually saw you kill them. I can't believe that I'm taking this subject so lightly at the moment and I'm really going to attack myself right after I finish writing this letter._

_Second. This is the highlight of this all. I've finally decided this, and I know that it's been decided ever since._

_I still fuckin' love you so much, and I seriously wish you'd come back!_

_Okay. I've written that and got it out of my system. Now will you come back? It's not like me to beg is it?_

_I'll beg anyway._

_Please?_

_I think that's all I have to say. We can really talk this through if you come back and at least talk to me. We can really talk this through if you come back and stay._

_From, Anonymous_

_P.S. Anonymous is fitting, isn't it?_

* * *

It's been a half a week. A very dull, dreary half a week week. I spent the entire dull, dreary half a week sitting in my apartment waiting for the Smart-ass to either arrive or not. I've already decided that if he doesn't come or reply in another week I'll send another letter and send him an e-mail. Considering the time they take to send letters back and forth, I should have received a reply. But then again, he might be coming. So I'll just sit tight and wait. Doesn't matter to me. I've never really spent my vacations doing anything important anyway.

Sakura and Kakashi keep coming over every once and a while, though. I told them both what was going on because I can't stand keeping some things bottled up at times like these. Sakura plus Kakashi equals Naruto in a very odd way. They both understand and they both can be really stupid sometimes. And Sakura likes me, and I think Kakashi's a pedophile. So that also adds up to Naruto. Ino sometimes comes over with them, too, but she only does that to get the latest news on me.

I tapped my fingers against the wall, half-asleep, half-awake. I'm going to die of thinking too much at this rate.

Someone knocked on the door. I stood up, knowing that it was Kakashi, since that sounded like Kakashi's usual knock. Don't ask me how I know that.

I opened the door, screamed _'Oh, shit!'_ and slammed the door shut. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit." I'm seriously looking like a fool right now. I swear, my heart skipped three beats back there.

"What, am I not allowed to come in?" his familiar, close, warm voice said in a playful kind of way. "Guess I'll leave."

"No way are you getting out of my sight again," I grumbled, opening the door and just giving him a brotherly hug. Note brotherly. Not romantic. I heard the Smart-ass give out a weak sigh. "I can't _believe_ you."

"I can't believe I came back just because you wrote me a letter," Itachi kissed my forehead gently, and then pulled away from me. "You're a mess."

"You've got some explaining to do." I grabbed his hand and dragged him into my apartment, slamming the door behind me and forcing him to sit down in a chair. "Now. Talk."

"What do you want me to say?" he seemed to calm down on the subject a bit. So it was a good idea to explain things to him in a letter. It has to end in the right way in order for it to work. That's a lesson that doesn't really apply to anything but this. Trust me, don't follow this lesson.

"Just tell me why."

"…Obsessions, that's all," Itachi muttered.

"What the hell do you mean by 'obsessions'?"

"Over you," Itachi muttered yet again.

"…Huh?" Of course I'm utterly confused. He's talking so softly, which really isn't like him that much, and I don't get what he means by obsessions.

"I couldn't stand _them_."

"Them? You mean our parents?"

"You only smiled around our mother," Itachi stared me straight in the eye. At least now I know that he has no regrets over telling me this. "You wished for our father's attention. So I killed them."

I flinched, but I tried not to think about it the last sentence. "…I don't understand. What about Shisui?"

"Shisui…Shisui's something different."

"I really don't understand."

"You don't have to," Itachi answered, standing up. "I just want you to answer my question for once."

"Which is?"

"Will you accept me as I am?"

So un-Itachi-like. I blinked at him, giving him a weird look. "Are you stupid or something? Of course. Why'd you think I'd go through the trouble of sending you a letter begging you to come back? It's alright now."

"…You sure?"

"I'm sure, so stop worrying about it." I gave him another hug, wrapping my arms around his neck. Now this one was the romantic hug. Not brotherly. "Besides, you'd just make it worse if you go," I mumbled, burying my face into his chest. "You don't have to worry about Konoha. If they do anything to you I'll get you out."

"You're not capable of such a thing."

"I can do it. I'm serious." Itachi gave me another weak smile after I said that. Good. This is working after all. "Not a lot of people know, anyway. And I know a few people that know that accept you anyway."

"I guess so."

"You don't sound too assured."

"A man can't be too careful."

Change of subject. "Are you still planning on moving back to Konoha?" If he says yes then all of my hopes are fulfilled.

"Sort of." You ruined a little bit. I nodded, wanting him to go on. "Well, I have to go to the officials in order to do that. I'll be under surveillance for a while, I think. If the officials accept my being back here in Konoha, then everything will be set."

"That's great. Finally…I can say that I love you again."

"…I love you too, Sasuke."

* * *

"Aniki. Get up. Now!"

"Stop it, Sasuke, let me sleep…"

"Fine. I'll walk the mile to school."

"I'm up…" Itachi sat up and grinned a little sheepishly. "Don't want you to miss the first day of your junior year of school…" He quickly got changed and left the house with me with a loaf of bread hanging out of his mouth.

We eventually pulled up at the school. I already spotted Ino and Sakura on the school bus. They waved at me, and I saw Ino 'kyaa' at the sight of us both. The school bus stopped a few places behind us. Ino and Sakura stepped out, and they both had their eyes on us both.

"See you later, Sasu-chan." Itachi smiled at me again. "Good luck."

"You know I have bad luck," I muttered, not wanting to leave the car just yet.

"I'll give you a good luck present, then," Itachi leaned towards me and gave me a kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth in secret. I pushed him away quickly when I saw Kakashi approaching us both. "'Bye."

"Yeah," I gave him a smile, grabbing my back and stepping out of the car. Kakashi raised the only eyebrow that I could see. Ino was screaming somewhere, pointing at me and Itachi.

"How are you doing, Sasuke? Itachi?" Kakashi leaned to the side and gave Itachi a laid-back wave. Itachi just nodded, then drove off. "Not that talkative, is he?"

"He talks to me," I replied. "I just don't know how I'm going to get through the first day of school without Naruto." I got used to talking about Naruto. I'm proud of that blonde now. If I meet someone for the first time, I will bring up Naruto. Accident or on purpose.

"Hey, you'll get through it!" Sakura ran over to me and glomped me. I groaned and pushed her off. Ino was still kyaaing at the sidelines. "After all, you've still got us, right?"

"…Yeah."

* * *

_To, Naruto_

_Today was the first day of school. I wish you could be here, because we had a lot of fun. No one really changed that much, except for Chouji. He's actually trying to go on a diet. There's no weird assignment that we have to do for the entire year. I don't know whether to be relieved or disappointed._

_My brother's doing fine, too. Really, I think that you could have been good friends with him. Sometimes he acts like you sometimes. Like an idiot. _

_I finally got to talk to everyone today. Everyone really misses you. Me especially. _

_From, Sasuke._

I let the letter burn on its own. So what if I believe in that tale that if you burn a letter it'd go to the dead person you wrote it to. I just can't get out of the habit of writing letters. This just happens to be my way of remembering Naruto.

So. It's been just an entire vacation. Things are different. My brother's now one of the best doctors in Konoha. I think he took that occupation because he wants to make up for what he did. The police acquitted him, because he saved many lives ever since he became a doctor. He told me that Shisui wanted to die, so that's why he killed him. Itachi avoids my questions about my parents, though. I still don't get that part, but we don't talk about it anymore, anyway.

Some people know about our relationship. Some. At least the whole world doesn't know.

A few of Itachi's friends are staying at Konoha now, too. Deidara is like Itachi's best friend all of a sudden. Deidara's like an older version of Naruto, except with the 'yeahs' and his actual artistic ability.

I don't know if you can call this a happy ending. I don't know what happy endings are like. It's kind of a bittersweet ending to me. I've still got some confusion, and I've lost my best friend. To me, the highlight of it all is that I've got my older brother back.

We both actually kept all of the letters we sent to each other. Itachi put them all together. I read them all over and over again.

This is my way of remembering us.

* * *

It ended! Wow. Wow. Wow. Did you see my notice on my profile? There actually might be a sequel. I think I'm pushing my luck. If I get ideas, up comes a sequel. I'm writing a new ItaSasu story, though, so read that if possible! And you know Itachi's reason for killing his parents? It's up to your minds to figure that one out.

_I hope you enjoyed the entire thing!_

_From, your writer that was close to tears writing the ending, Koneko._

**This Concludes the Story of From Anonymous**


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